Porcelain, cast, hand-painted in overglaze enamel colours and gilding. Designed by Henry van de Velde, 1902-1904. Marked and signed on the base. Germany, Meissen porcelain factory, about 1905-1912

Circular, shallow rounded body and lid, the dish handles and arched lid handle cut and champfered. Overglaze enamel colours and gilding. Dish rim and handles and lid handle decorated with a band of geometric patterning in gold; the lid embellished with sprigs and bunches of flowers in enamel colours. Hand-painted.

(Note in Register) This shape and the gilded pattern (also produced in blue, see C.36-1990) were much discussed by contemporary critics. Meissen had great difficulty in selling it in commercial quantities and the factory added the painted flower sprigs, traditional and with a long-proven record, in an effort to convert it into a marketable success.
Henry van de Velde was invited to produce designs for Meissen in 1902, two years after they had been severely criticised at the international exhibition, Paris 1900, for their over-reliance of traditional forms and their unadventerous production policy. He produced some highly stylish patterns, using the traditional Meissen underglaze-blue painting technique.

C.37&A, B-1990