A majestic vase made of gilt brass with a figure of Mars

From the "Great Russian Order" for Empress Elizabeth I (the so-called Mars Vase) from the series of planetary vases. A round base with a rim of gilded bronze. Above the slightly protruding amphora-shaped body with an elongated tubular neck and a widened smooth rim. On the rounded right shoulder, in front of the flags, sits the war god Mars in Roman armor with a helmet and a sword fastened at his side. In his outstretched right hand, he holds a marshal's baton. Opposite, among plastic palms and branches of a laurel wreath, are depicted carved military trophies, including rifles and a cannon barrel, a trumpet, and flags. Above them, a cherub with a horn hovers. On the show side, there are powerful rocaille cartouches with fine filigree ornamentation, decorated with military trophies and ornamental works. Among them are animated battle scenes in extremely fine polychrome painting, probably executed by Johann Georg Heinz (active 1720–1748) after Georg Philipp Rugendas. On the reverse side—large wooden bouquets of flowers. Possibly Johann Joachim Kändler and Johann Friedrich Eberlein, 1744. The individual figure is probably Christoph Gottlob Hänschel. Press number 21. Partially restored; sword mark. Height 43 cm. In 1744, a set of so-called planetary vases of various shapes with mounts of gilded bronze decorated with leaves, representing the planets known at the time—Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and the Moon, as well as the Sun in the form of the sun god Apollo—was designed for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1709–1762). The present example was offered at the Berlin auction of Siegfried Salz’s collection in 1929 together with the so-called "Venus Vase" as a pair. Later, the astronomical symbol of Mars was restored with a horn. Most of the planetary vases with gilded mounts are in the porcelain collection of the Meissen factory of Ernst Schneider at the Bavarian National Museum in Munich (inv. nos. ES 108, E 150, ES 107). Such vases are rare on the national and international art market. See Schnorr von Carolsfeld, in the auction catalog of Paul Cassirer/Hugo Helbing, Porcelain Collection of Siegfried Salz, Berlin, March 1929, no. 181; Just, in MB of the Ceramic Friends of Switzerland, no. 50 (1960), fig. 121 and following; Jedding, Meissen Porcelain of the 18th Century, p. 137. Provenance: Former Siegfried Salz collection, sold at auction at Kunstsalon Cassirer/Galerie Helbing Berlin, March 26, 1929, cat. no. 181. Majestic vase of gilt brass with the figure of Mars, the god of war, and battle scenes from the series of planetary vases created for Empress Elizabeth I of Russia. Partially restored. Cross with sword mark. Meissen, circa 1745–1750.