A Special Piece - Exquisite Porcelain Vase | KPM Berlin

Large and pot-bellied, magnificently painted, and perched on a pedestal, it stands before the viewer: an extraordinary VICTORIA vase is currently on display at the KPM flagship store in Berlin. Hardly a speck of white porcelain remains visible on it. Against dark backgrounds richly framed with gold ornamentation, white rhododendrons bloom. The “ back ” is adorned with light-colored peonies. On the sides, two bullfinches peck at the berries of a rowan tree, while a pair of long-tailed tits perches on branches of rose hips. The egg-shaped VICTORIA vase was originally designed in 1860 by KPM master modeler Julius Mantel. It was named in honor of Crown Princess Victoria of Great Britain, who had married the future Emperor Friedrich III of Prussia two years earlier.

The VICTORIA vase on display at the KPM flagship store was created last year as a showcase of the artisanal expertise of KPM’s master painters. The aim was to feature all areas of painting on this monumental vase and its base. For months, porcelain painters—who specialize in a particular field after completing their training—worked on the intricately detailed flowers, landscapes, decorations, and bird motifs, employing special techniques in the process. The floral composition was designed by a specialist in soft-painting, a technique developed at KPM in the late 19th century. A gentle color gradient and masterful application of paint mimic the photography of that era. “What looks blurry in old flower photos in our archive was painted more diffusely, so that the blossoms in the foreground stand out particularly beautifully,” explains Claudia Tetzlaff, head of the KPM archive and painting instructor. Influenced by Impressionism, the flowers were meant to appear particularly three-dimensional and as if bathed in light. The light-colored blossoms against the dark Fond create a special effect. The unique shade of green could only be achieved through many years of painstaking experimentation, gradual layering of colors, and multiple intermediate firings.

The painting of the base, which gives it a sculptural appearance, was coordinated with the colors of the vase (dark turquoise, air blue and brown-red). The pictorial fields are framed by gilding and show color and gold staffage, polychrome painting and landscape scenes. Even if the viewer inevitably wonders which places are depicted: "The motifs are indebted to the imagination in the style of Romanticism," explains Claudia Tetzlaff.

Currently, this VICTORIA vase is the largest vase model on the grounds of the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin. It measures just over 70 centimeters—not including the base. The VICTORIA vase has always been a work of art with which the Royal Porcelain Manufactory ( KPM Berlin ) has adorned itself. “It was particularly popular at world’s fairs, where it was displayed to demonstrate the mastery of handcrafted production,” says Claudia Tetzlaff. Its size posed a challenge: the taller the vase, the more difficult the firing process. The largest example measured 2.08 meters. At the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, the “ KPM Berlin ” also presented a vase featuring sculpted flowers and giant cherubs that seemed to be cavorting on it. “It was typical of Historicism. In that era, everything was supposed to be gigantic,” explains the archivist.

Such large vases have a special effect on the viewer. If you stand in front of the VICTORIA vase and step back a little, the individual decorations come together. Up close, you can admire the high level of porcelain painting down to the smallest detail - and discover hidden filigree gold decorations, the person on the riverbank or a berry pecked at by a bird - an unparalleled spectacle.

Photos: Gene Glover & KPM Berlin