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Antique c1920 Volkstedt Muller Dresden Porcelain Lace Figurine LARGE Unusual
is a beautiful antique porcelain figurine of a lady in a cozy lace wrap resting on a bench with a bunch of flowers in her hand. I think the sculptor tried to depict a scene of tranquility and quiet beauty: the lady may be taking a short break after a dance or a long walk in a park and gracefully half-turned to the onlooker. This posture is quite easy to reproduce in porcelain, but as with many simple things in art one needs a true artistry to achieve a striking aesthetic effect. The hand painting of the face is very delicate and beautiful, too.
The group has a backstamp for Muller&Co, a company founded by Anton Muller in Volkstedt (Thuringia). The workshop started at the beginning of the 20th century or a bit earlier, this mark was definitely in use by 1907. By the late 1930s the company flourished with its fine porcelain lace figurines exported worldwide. Anton Muller died in 1937 and was succeeded by his son Herman, a gifted artist and businessman himself. Unfortunately, the factory was completely destroyed during the World War II, and both Herman and his son Erich died leaving the ruins of the business to Johanna Saar, niece of Herman Muller. Johanna and her husband Oskar recovered the old master moulds and rebuild the factory after the war. This venture was short-lived though, as the Saars were forced to leave their home in 1949. This was the last year this backstamp was used. The Saars eventually settled in Ireland and managed to start up Irish Dresden company in 1962. The backstamp on Irish Dresden figurines incorporates some elements of old Muller’s mark, but it always has "Irish Dresden" under the old mark and is done in lighter blue.
This figurine was almost certainly made in the 20s or 30s as after that the painting style of Mullers has changed.
Height: 8 3/4" (22cm).
Socle width: 9" (23cm).
Condition: there is some damage to the lace as seen in the pictures. No other flaw or restoration. However, old porcelain lace is extremely fragile and minor damage might occur in transit despite very careful packing.
A note on international shipping: this figurine is quite large and heavy, it won’t fit into Royal Mail Small Packet limits and will have to go by Parcelforce. If the actual postage is less than my estimate, I will refund the difference, and if it’s more (which is often the case with my international quotes) I won’t charge you for that.
I always reciprocate feedback but sometimes I cannot do it immediately as I travel a lot to antiques fairs with limited access to the internet.
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