Royal Vienna Porcelain Vase

This rare and magnificent Royal Vienna porcelain vase is a work of tremendous artistry. Monumental in size and beauty, this extravagant urn features a reproduction of Thomas Gainsborough's Mr. and Mrs. William Hallett (The Morning Walk), the painter's famed 1785 portrait of William Hallett and his wife, Elizabeth. Highly detailed and true to the original, this scene is set against an ombre backdrop, an effect achieved by exposing different areas of the piece to longer firing. Accented by a hand-painted, gilt foliate motif in a lush Art Nouveau style, this incredible vase epitomizes the exceptional porcelain genius for which Royal Vienna is known.

Features Royal Vienna beehive mark

Circa 1890

44 1/2” high

For almost two centuries, the Imperial and Royal Porcelain Factory Vienna, commonly referred to as Royal Vienna by collectors, was the premier producer of porcelain in the region. Founded in 1718 by Claudius Innocentius du Paquier, the factory was granted a "special privilege" for the exclusive right to produce porcelain in Austria. It was the second hard paste porcelain factory in Europe, after Meissen. Du Paquier sold the factory to the Hapsburg court in 1744, and the Austrian royalty owned and operated the factory until it closed in 1864, at which time it was put under museum administration.

After the factory closed, the royal government allowed several other factories to open in Austria, and allowed them to buy molds from the Imperial and Royal factory and make reproductions of the famous factory's pieces. At one time or another, there have been 21 different factories or decorating studios in Vienna, Austria.