Small courtly Meissen ornamental tureen

For Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King August III of Poland, a splendidly decorated porcelain tureen. It is a double-walled and ornamentally pierced corpus, oval in shape, supported by four drawn volute feet. The sides of the tureen are adorned with handles in the form of a sculpted female bust with feathered headdress. The richly sculpted decoration consists of small putti figures connected by garlands of flowers and drapery. On both sides of the tureen, there are cartouches crowned with shells, within which are Italian city views with figurative staffage. The corresponding lid is adorned with a fully sculpted knob, designed as a royal crown with a imperial orb on cushions, flanked by seated putti. Surrounding the tureen are applied rocaille cartouches, upon which are depicted the Polish-Lithuanian royal coat of arms alternating with the Saxon coat of arms, accompanied by gallant and hunting scenes. The underside of the lid is decorated with a colorful floral relief. The polychrome painting and rich gold decoration are present. The interior walls are gilded. Either Johann Joachim Kaendler. Model no. B 136. Minor restoration. Sword mark. Height 20.5 cm. The present version was created based on the model of a tureen that was commissioned by Maria Josepha of Austria (1699-1757), wife of King August III of Poland, from Johann Joachim Kaendler. This tureen in the form of a magnificent terrine served to "store plucked threads, embroidery, and the like." See Zimmerman, Meissen Porcelain, 1924, p. 140. Ducret, Porcelain of the 18th Century, Fig. 16, p. 31. A small splendidly decorated porcelain tureen, originally for Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King August III of Poland. Minor restored. Crossed swords mark. Meissen. Late 19th century.