A rare early Meissen teabowl and saucer, circa 1715-20

Prior to the arrival of Johann Gregorius Höroldt from Vienna in April 1720, the decoration of Meissen porcelain was not yet fully centralized within the manufactory but was instead carried out by independent decorators operating under the auspices of the Dresden court. Surviving records indicate that George Funcke was already supplying decorated porcelain by 1713. As noted by Rainer Rückert in Biographische Daten der Meißener Manufakturisten des 18. Jahrhunderts (Munich, 1990, p. 147), a surviving archival letter dated 6 June 1719 records that Funcke, described as a goldsmith, had for six years painted porcelain at the Royal and Electoral Porcelain Manufactory in a variety of polychrome enamels and had also fired the wares, 'George Funcke, Goldarbeiter hat in der Königl.und Churfl.Porcellain Factur. Sechs Jahr daß Porcellain gemahlet mit allerhand bunten farben und auch Solches’. His surviving invoices, reproduced by Claus Boltz in Steinzeug und Porzellan der Böttgerperiode, Keramos, no. 167/168 (2000), pp. 3–156, outline the structure of porcelain decoration at Meissen during the Böttger period.

Three further gilt teabowls and saucers with applied acanthus and gilt interiors, perhaps associated to the present lot or belonging to another service, sold, Sotheby’s, London, 5 June 2007, lot 8.