Extremely Rare 18th Century, Porcelain Imperial Vienna Portrait Plate Austria

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Extremely Rare 18th Century, Porcelain Imperial Vienna Portrait Plate Austria :
$4000.00

This is a very early hand-painted portrait plate from the renowned Imperial Vienna factory, made before the ornate gilding became fashionable.Unusually, it has the black over-glaze habsburg shield (which is very rare and pre-dates the blue beehive) and, I believe, dates it around mid 1700\'s.According to Robert E Roentgen\'s book on German and Austrian Porcelain Marks, the black, purple or red marks were only used by the Imperial Vienna factory between 1744-1749. This ties in with the costume, especially the large feathered hat, which was fashionable around 1750.The plate itself is in good antique condition with no chips or cracks.It has some wear to the gilding, but the real beauty of this object is in the portrait itself which is masterfully executed to an incredible level of detail. The intricate brushwork on the feathers and the raised, fine jewelry in particular is quite astonishing.The characterization of the face is unique. The lady is probably a countess or a rich merchant\'s wife of the time and her period costume would indicate she lived around 1750.The artist has captured her strong personality and her knowing smile.The portrait would benefit greatly from professional cleaning. There is a small blemish on her cheek and some general discoloration.
It has the number 16 impressed on the back and two others, possibly a 74 and a 20.This is a very rare and original piece. You won\'t see another one.
A must for the serious collector.Thank you for looking.
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