19th Century German Meissen porcelain fruit bowl

Intricate design, beautiful floral applications, and stunning gilding make this porcelain fruit bowl a truly marvellous piece. The quality of its decoration means that it can be used equally as a fruit bowl or as a centrepiece for a special dining table.

The bowl is the work of the famed Meissen manufactory, and showcases some of the innovative techniques which propelled them to such a high status. The bowl features a pierced frieze, which has the appearance of an intricate lace pattern, the interior of which is highlighted in turquoise. The top and rim of the piece is gilded and set with shell-motifs, and the interior is decorated with painted bouquets of flowers on a white ground.

The exterior of the bowl is applied with floral decorations, again intricately moulded and decorated, and arranged as a series of brightly-coloured bouquets and vines. It is set on a flared stand on a circular parcel-gilt base, the underside of which bears the blue crossed sword marks of the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory.