Miniature Tea Set

Wedgwood

  • Titles Miniature Tea Set (Descriptive)
  • Artist Wedgwood, England, est. 1759
  • Medium Queen's ware
  • Credit Line Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; The Buten Wedgwood Collection, gift through the Wedgwood Society of New York, AFI.3302.2008.1a-b-.4
  • Work Type tea set
  • Classification Containers

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Oval blue jasper medallion with white relief profile portrait of King George VI, with white laurel leaf border
Oval dark blue jaser medallion with white relief portrait profile of Josef Franz Haydn (1732-1809) , set in plated silver frame surrounded with rhinestones. Haydn was a Austrian composer, he became a chorister in Vienna at the age of eight, and learned to play the pianoforte and the violin. When his voice broke he earned a scanty livelihood by playing the violin, and he had produced his first opera by the age of twenty. In 1758 he came to the notice of Prince Anton Esterhazy, and in the year following produced his first symphony. By this time he had achieved considerable popularity in Vienna, and Esterhazy made hi Vice-Kapellminster of the Court Orchestra in 1760. his success continued through Esterhazy's life and continued on after his death.
Large white porcelain presentation vase of urn shape with narrow neck and flared lip mounted on an octagonal plinth, with two large scrolling snake handles radiating from upper body and resting on wide lip, the snakes' tails terminate in floral motifs; the snake handles and the main body of the vase are unglazed (bisquit), the neck and lip, foot, and plinth are all glazed; the head of the snake as well as the scrolled foliage that surmounts its body mid way, and the floral terminals are highlighted in gold, the neck and lip with three gold bands at top middle and bottom, the foot and plinth likewise highlighted with gold bands; the body with central large round cartouche surrounded by tooled gold band and surmounted by gilt crown that is flanked by oak and laurel leaves, within cartouche a polychrome topographical view of the royal palace Kronprinzenpalais on Berlin's fashionable street Unter den Linden
Pocket watch holder; on a decorative base, the stand consists of intertwined, scrolled elements and foliage with an eagle with outstretched wings, and a snake that winds up the stand and encircles the watch holder.