A rare Meissen Kakiemon circular tureen, cover and stand circa 1730-35

each painted with a phoenix in flight and sprigs of indianische Blumen beneath the borders delicately molded with trailing peony branches; the tureen and cover affixed with fish handles, interior of the tureen and stand with crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue.

Collection of Siegfried and Lola Kramarsky, Christie's London, October 30, 1993, lot 28

Ruth Berges, From Gold to Porcelain, The Art of Porcelain and Faience, 1963, fig. 80

Stand - has four shallow 1/2 inch rim chips and several smaller rim chips. Some stacking wear to the cavetto and wear to the enamels. Cover - has a fine haircrack around the handle beside the tail fin. Very minor wear to the raised decoration. Tureen - good condition. There is an enamelled-over shallow firing chip to the rim.
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.

A similarly molded and decorated tureen and cover is illustrated by Rainer Rückert in Meissener Porcelain 1710-1810, fig. 296, p. 92, where the author mentions that this tureen could belong to the service "with etched (scrafiret) borders" ordered by Count von Friesen in 1730. According to Rückert, Kändler's work records of November 1733: '5 Stück Teller Rattiret mit Indianischen Ziraten, wo die Teller in Maße darauf drucket werden' [5 plates raised with indianische decoration, where the plates will be produced in masses] and September 1736: '1 Schälgen mit Japanischen Blumen rattiert für den Herrn Grafen von Friesen' [1 small dish raised with Japanese flowers for Count von Friesen] are related to this service. At least one other service with this unusual border is known, with decoration in iron-red and gilding, for which see a plate sold at Christie's London, September 21, 1992, lot 24. A plate from the same service as the present piece was sold at Sotheby's Zurich, December 5, 1991, lot 185.