A decadent Meissen tea set unveiled in London

24 June 2010 - by ArtfixDaily Staff

click to enlarge

David Brower Antiques is offering this wonderfully ornate Schneeballen tea set, a part of an extensive Meissen porcelain collection.

The ultimate high tea accessory for summer is part of an extensive Meissen collection assembled by London's David Brower Antiques in celebration of the German porcelain manufacturer’s 300th anniversary.

Nestled on quaint Kensington Church Street, amongst the largest collection of antiques galleries in the U.K., David Brower Antiques is showcasing a delicately decorated tea set in the delightful Schneeballen Meissen design.

Schneeballen translates to "snowball" in English and refers to the service's exquisite design. Hundreds and often thousands of small, handmade and applied porcelain flowers form these incredible pieces.

Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen’s most famous artistic director, was behind the delicate snowball style, a design innovation which transformed functional objects into decorative works of art.

In 1739, a Schneeballen coffee service was made for Maria Josepha of Austria (wife of Augustus III). It was considered to be the most artistic of services and Augustus III commissioned a complete, 31-piece coffee and tea service as a present for Count Johann Friedrich of Schwarzberg Rudolstadt and Bernhardina Christina Sophia for their wedding on November 29, 1744.

The circa-1880 set at David Brower Antiques represents the finest workmanship produced by Meissen in the 19th century.

More News Feed Headlines

Julien Hudson, 1811-1844 American. Creole Boy With A Moth, 1835, oil on canvas, courtesy of a private collection; photo courtesy of Fodera Fine Art Conservation, Ltd.

First Retrospective of Early African American Artist Julien Hudson at Worcester Art Museum

A groundbreaking exhibition opened Dec. 9 at the Worcester Art Museum entitled “In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans.” Julien Hudson (1811-1844) is the second-earliest documented portrait painter of African descent to work in the United States. Little-known today, Hudson died an untimely, somewhat mysterious death, and only fragments of his oeuvre survive to tell his story.

'May,' by Alexander Motyl, $25/month to rent ($550 to buy), artsicle.com.

Virtual Art Buying Gets a Boost From New Websites

A bevy of new online ventures are helping to streamline the process of buying art for both beginners and established collectors, facilitating keyboard-click access to information and galleries.

An installation view of the new Tuscaloosa Museum of Art: Home of the Westervelt Collection.

New Tuscaloosa Museum of Art to Showcase Important American Art

Last week, the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art opened its doors, finally giving a home to the art collection assembled by Jack Warner. Earlier this year, the Jack Warner Foundation and Westervelt Company separated, leaving the fate undetermined as to where their respective collections would be housed. Several key works were sold by the Westervelt Co. at auction and privately. Now, more than 800 pieces...

Portrait of a Man and Woman in an Interior, painted about 1666, by Eglon van der Neer (Dutch, 1634–1703). Oil on panel. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Seth K. Sweetser Fund.

Museum Curator as Art Detective

At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Victoria Reed is the first and only endowed curator of provenance at an American museum. Since 2010, her role has been to research objects in the museum's collections, and new acquisitions, in order to determine the right of ownership. At times, Reed's findings have led to restitution...