Smoking set

Physical description

Smoking set in hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels, moulded and gilded. Consisting of six pieces: Tray, shallow circular box with cover, tall circular box with cover, circular ashtray, cigarette lighter, and paper knife.
[Tray] Rectangular tray with concave sides and decorated with a chequered motif consisting of alternately raised and impressed squares. It stands on two shallow foot rims. The surface is decorated with two riders on horseback and a dog approaching a fantastic castle. The scene is surrounded with stylised drapery.
[Box] Shallow circular box with the body slightly waisted and undecorated except for the chequered motif. It stands on a shallow foot rim close to the edge of the base.
[Cover] Mushroom-shaped cover for part A. The cover fits over a flange at the top of the box and is decorated with indoor scenes. Women adorning themselves, a man smoking a hookah and reclining on a divan, and an odalisque being entertained by a musician. The top of the cover is painted with a knot of drapery.
[Box] Tall circular box with the body slightly waisted and decorated with the chequered motif. It stands on a shallow foot rim and with a flange at the top.
[Cover] Domed cover decorated with scenes of bloating with fanciful fish and an arabesque castle. A knot of drapery is painted on the top.
[Ashtray] Deep and circular ashtray with the walls waisted, flaring slightly at the top and decorated with the chequered motif. The base is deeply recessed and there is a deep notch in the upper rim to hold a cigarette. The rounded bowl is decorated with a lady and a cat flying on a magic carpet above a walled town. The upper of the scene is edged with drapery.
[Cigarette lighter] Cigarette lighter with the sides waisted. The long sides are decorated with the chequered motif, and the short ones have a coffee pot and cups at one end and a bowl of fruit at the other. Both designs are finished with a knot of drapery. The base is flat and its longer sides are concave. The action of the lighter is of metal.
[Paper knife] Paper knife with a rectangular handle and with the long sides slightly waisted. The top and bottom are decorated with the chequered motif, while the edges have blocks of gilding with a 'vermeille' patterning cut through to show the white body. The end is gilt with a cartouche cut through to show the mark. The blade is of metal.

Place of Origin

Meissen, Germany (made)

Date

ca. 1971 (made)

Artist/maker

Zepner, Ludwig, born 1931 (modeller)
Werner, Heinz, born 1928 (painter)
Meissen porcelain factory (maker)

Materials and Techniques

Hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels, metal and moulded and gilded

Marks and inscriptions

[Tray] Crossed swords
[Tray] '29'
[Tray] 'V252'
[Tray] 85[z?]
[Box] Crossed swords
[Box] 'V254'
[Box] '127'
[Box] 'V255'
[Box] '52>'
[Ashtray] 'V253'
[Ashtray] '81 y'
[Cigarette lighter] 'V257'
[Cigarette lighter] '52>'
[Paper knife] Crossed swords
[Paper knife] 'V256'

Dimensions

[Tray] Height: 30 cm, Length: 13.5 cm, Width: 1.7 cm
[Box] Diameter: 11.7 cm, Height: 6.5 cm with cover
[Box] Diameter: 8 cm, Height: 11.5 cm with cover
[Ashtray] Diameter: 8.5 cm, Height: 5.5 cm
[Cigarette lighter] Length: 7.5 cm, Width: 3.3 cm, Height: 6.2 cm
[Paper knife] Length: 24 cm, Width: 2.6 cm, Depth: 1.2 cm

Object history note

The decoration was inspired by the 'Arabian Nights'.

Descriptive line

Smoking set in hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels, moulded and gilded, modelled by Ludwig Zepner, painted by Heinz Werner, Meissen porcelain factory, Meissen, ca. 1971

Materials

Hard paste porcelain; Metal

Techniques

Painted; Moulded; Gilded

Subjects depicted

Men; Women; Fruit; Fish; Dogs; Castle; Cat; Horsemen; Drapery; Cups; Coffee pot; Boating; Chequered

Categories

Porcelain; Ceramics

Collection code

CER