The present vases are traditionally known as ‘Schneeballen’, which translates from German into English as ‘Snowball’, due to their bulbous, encrusted, snowball-like and snowball-covered bodies. The first Meissen Schneeballen vases were produced in 1739. The present pair was manufactured c. 1870 and represents an excellent example of this most distinctive of types.
Each vase in this pair is of bulbous, ovoid form, the exterior surface decorated profusely with hundreds of applied white mayflower blossoms, each yellow-centred blossom intricately crafted from fine porcelain. Trailing and winding green vines sprout and wrap about the body of the vase, each culminating in individual Schneeballen, or spheres of mayflowers. Birds of all colours perch about each vase, visiting the abundant flowers.
Each vase is topped with a similarly decorated cover, laden with further blossom covered Schneeballen and perched with still more birds.
Each vase is marked underside with blue underglaze crossed swords, the mark for Meissen.