19th-Century French Gilt Porcelain Covered Serving Dish With Gourd Finial, C. 1860–1880

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Description

An elegant and unusually sculptural 19th-century porcelain covered serving dish, likely French or Continental European and dating to approximately the … Read more An elegant and unusually sculptural 19th-century porcelain covered serving dish, likely French or Continental European and dating to approximately the third quarter of the 19th century.

The substantial oval form is rendered in luminous white porcelain and richly embellished with hand-applied gilding. Particularly distinctive are the molded segmented side handles and dramatic ribbed gourd-form finial, each incorporated into delicate gilt botanical decoration. Stylized leaves, curling tendrils and fine hand-painted details extend across the lid and beneath the handles, while broad gilt bands accentuate the sweeping profile of the vessel.

The combination of applied foliate ornament, gourd-form finial and extensive gilding is closely related to decorative vocabulary documented on French porcelain services of the period, including examples produced by Haviland & Co. in Limoges. As this piece bears no identifiable manufacturer's mark, however, it is conservatively offered as French/Continental European rather than attributed to a specific factory.
A handsome survivor of 19th-century formal dining, retaining the character and surface wear acquired through more than a century of use. See less