A Meissen Table Bell and Stand, Circa 1730

Kändler records in his Taxa, or work reports for August 1734:

“Eine Einsatz Schale zu einer Klocke oder Schelle auf Paßigte art mit einem Füßgen gefertiget”, [A lobed stand with a little foot for a bell], and again in May 1735: “Eine Einsatz Schale zur Tisch

Glocke repariret” (Ulrich Pietsch, Die Arbeitsberichte des Meissener Porzellanmodelleurs Johann Joachim Kaendler, 1760 1775, Leipzig, Germany, 2002, pp. 26 and 31).

The rare survivals of this fragile form include a bell and stand, painted with Chinoiserie figures, formerly in the collections of Dr. Fritz Clemm, Berlin; and Dr. Ludwig Darmstädter, Berlin, which subsequently entered the collection of Dr. Fritz Mannheimer and is now in the Rijksmuseum, illustrated in Abraham den Blaauwen, Meissen Porcelain in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 2000, p. 94, Inv. BK-17414-A/B. A further bell, painted with Chinoiserie figures, was in the Maurice de Rothschild Collection, sold, his (anon.) sale, Christie’s London, 17 October 1977, lot 37.

A bell painted with harbour scenes is in the Pauls-Eisenbeiss Collection, Basel, illustrated in Dr Erika Pauls-Eisenbeiss, German Porcelain of the 18th Century, Vol. I, London, 1972, Vol. I, pp. 464-65; A bell, part of a desk set with an inkwell, pounce pot and a rectangular tray dated 1735 and painted with harbour scenes, was included in group of porcelains delivered to Christian VI of Denmark and his consort Queen Sophie Magdalene, now in the Museums für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, illustrated in Jørgen Hein and ‘Mogens Bencard, Denmark and Saxony, Family Ties and Meissen Porcelain’ in Maureen Cassidy-Geiger (ed.), Fragile Diplomacy, Meissen Porcelain for European Courts, ca. 1710-63, exh. cat., New Haven, Connecticut, 2007, p. 184, fig. 8-18.

Sotheby's Scientific Research department used noninvasive XRF for this lot to screen the green enamel for chromium, which was not detected.