Young man with a shell

Meissen, Germany, model: ca. 1760, produced in the early 20th century

Glazed white porcelain.

H: 12 cm

Markings: swords in blue; one incision

UMP 7619

This Rococo bowl for sweetmeats or spices is modelled in the form of a reclining young man in period dress. The base is bordered with relief rocaille. The marking on the object is crossed out once, which means that the product is of reduced quality (e.g., a minor deformation or damage due to hairline crack or black firing spots) and was no longer designated for further decoration. These products often wound up in the workshops of domestic painters, whose finely executed paintings increased the value of such objects (especially in the eighteenth century).

The young man with a shell has a counterpart, a young woman with a shell; together the Rococo couple was intended to be used in table services. It was usually decorated in the style of the entire service, such as vibrantly painted flowers or the “Blue Onion” pattern.