Flask and Cover thumbnail 1
Flask and Cover thumbnail 2
+1
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Flask and Cover

ca. 1715 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This spouted flask is made of the earliest porcelain developed by the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger at Meissen. Böttger laboured tirelessly to perfect his recipe for 'white gold' (as porcelain was often referred to at the time), living as a virtual prisoner in the Albrechtsburg castle, closely watched by the agents of his patron, Augustus the Strong, King of Saxony. Eventually, in about 1713, his experiments were successful. The shapes of his early pieces were designed by the court goldsmith, Irminger, or were copied from Asian ceramics, as in this case. This flask, or kendi shape, was originally an Islamic form of water-pouring vessel which later became popular in South-East Asia.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Kendi
  • Cover
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain
Brief description
Spouted flask and cover kendi of Japanese form, hard-paste white porcelain, made at the Meissen porcelain factory, Meissen, ca. 1715.
Physical description
Bottle and cover Kendi as a spouted flask of Japanese form, in hard-paste white Böttger porcelain.
Dimensions
  • Height: 22.7cm
Credit line
From the Arthur and Hilde Weiner Collection. Accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the V&A, 2006
Object history
Formerly in the Arthur and Hilde Weiner Collection.
Summary
This spouted flask is made of the earliest porcelain developed by the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger at Meissen. Böttger laboured tirelessly to perfect his recipe for 'white gold' (as porcelain was often referred to at the time), living as a virtual prisoner in the Albrechtsburg castle, closely watched by the agents of his patron, Augustus the Strong, King of Saxony. Eventually, in about 1713, his experiments were successful. The shapes of his early pieces were designed by the court goldsmith, Irminger, or were copied from Asian ceramics, as in this case. This flask, or kendi shape, was originally an Islamic form of water-pouring vessel which later became popular in South-East Asia.
Collection
Accession number
C.33:1, 2-2006

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Record createdFebruary 26, 2009
Record URL
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