A pair of Meissen pâte-sur-pâte celadon-ground vases circa 1900

each decorated in white slip in the center with flying cupids among roses, all surrounded by gilt-edged, stylized crocuses in the Art Nouveau style, crossed swords marks in underglaze-blue, incised shape number H 113, impressed numeral 20.

The vases are drilled on the bases. Otherwise in good condition. IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PURCHASERS – CHANGE OF PROPERTY LOCATION POST SALE Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on the day of each respective auction. After this time, sold property will be transferred to our new offsite facility, Crozier Fine Arts, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts for two business days. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including jewelry, watches, silver, works on panel and items valued $10 million or more will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Bernard Bumpus, in Pâte-sur-Pâte, The Art of Ceramic Relief Decoration,  1849-1992, p. 184, the Art Nouveau style was enthusiastically taken on at Meissen during the 1890s by Rudolf Hentschel, Julius Hentschel's son, who is credited, on p. 185, for the stylized crocus design, also evident in the present pair of vases.
The present vases were, however, probably decorated by Ludwig Sturm, who according to Bernard Bumpus, ibid., p. 186, was more conservative by nature. Bumpus further mentions on the same page another vase, now in the Bröhan-Musseum in Berlin, was probably decorated by Sturm "in pâte-sur-pâte with a flying Cupid among roses, surrounded by swirling crocuses and stylized flower heads, an odd mixture of the old and the new", similar to the decoration on the present vases.