Decorated with chinoiseries after the manner of J. G. Höroldt above gold and silver swags. A small group of Künersberg faience decorated in this style is known, and very similar designs, executed by the Aufenwerth workshop exist on Meissen porcelain. When found on Meissen they are often dated to around 1730-35, however the Künersberg faience factory only started in 1745. While the discrepancy in date is possible, it is also possible that the Meissen examples were decorated slightly later than sometimes thought.
This style of decoration tends to be attributed to Anna Elizabeth Wald as suggested by Ducret in Keramos.[1] Ducret bases this on a stylistic comparison to a set of Meissen teabowls and saucers which bear an ‘EW’ monogram. Anna Elizabeth Wald also signed two Künersberg faience tankards with her full name and dated them 1748. These two tankards are entirely different stylistically from any of the work attributed to her on Meissen. [2]
H. Clarke published a gilded Meissen teapot[3], that bears the initials SH for Sabina Hosennestel (the married name of Sabina Aufenwerth), which makes a compelling stylistic comparison to the decoration on this Künersberg example.
It is no surprise that confusion between the sisters would occur. Although there are signed pieces by each artist, it is difficult to distinguish confidently between the work of Sabina and Anna Elizabeth Aufenwerth. They were both daughters of the goldsmith Johann Aufenwerth who taught them the art of decorating on Meissen porcelain. They shared a workshop on Schongauergasse in Augsburg and it is clear they had overlapping decorative styles. [4]
Footnotes:
[1] See Ducret 1970.
[2] See Ducret 1971, vol. II, pp. 104-105, pl. 84-86.
[3] See Clarke 1985.
[4] See Langeloh 2010 for a discussion on the attribution of these pieces.
Condition: Chips to rim of cover and tip of spout
Provenance:
Robert G. Vater Collection
Literature:
Manners 2024:
‘E & H Manners, ‘Decorators on Ceramics and Glass’, 2024, no. 33
References:
Ducret 1970
Siegfried Ducret, ‘Anna Elisabeth Wald, eine geborene Aufenwerth’, Keramos no.50 (1970).
Ducret 1971
Ducret, Siegfried, Meissner Porzellan bemalt in Augsburg, 1718 bis um 1750, vols. I & II (Klinkhardt & Biermann, Braunschweig, (1971).
Clarke 1985
T. H. Clarke, ‘Sabine Hosennestel, geb. Auffenwerth, 1706-1782. Zwei signierte Stüke’, Keramos no.109 (1985).
Langeloh Porcelain 2010
Langeloh Porcelain, Kofferservice von Anna Elizabeth Wald Geb. Auffenwerth und/oder Sabina Auffenwerth Verh. Hosennestel, (Langeloh Porcelain 2010).
Price: £14,000