Porcelain Inkwell with Figural Transfer Print

This is a single porcelain inkwell featuring decoration in a romantic style, executed via transfer-printing.

1. Form and Construction

• Material: White Porcelain (or fine glazed earthenware).
• Form: The inkwell has a cylindrical body with a slight base molding.
• Lid: It features a fitted, domed porcelain lid secured by a small brass hinge at the back.
• Accents: The inkwell and lid edges are finished with painted gold accents.

1. Decoration: Figural Transfer Print

The central decoration is a detailed, polychrome transfer print featuring figures in a romanticized natural setting.

• Color Palette: The colors are soft and muted, featuring browns, pinks, deep reds, and blues.
• The Scene: The image depicts three figures:
  • Two Women: The composition centers on two adult female figures in classical attire. One is seated or reclining, dressed in a flowing garment holding a lute. The second woman stands nearbyhe first.
  • One Cherub: A small, nude cherub or putto is prominently featured, often associated with love.
• Background: The figures are set against a background of foliage, trees, and sky, giving the scene a soft, painterly, and idealized outdoor setting.

III. Classical Scene Assessment

The scene depicts two adult female figures and a cherub in a lush, idealized environment.

• Is it a known classical scene? While it is not a direct, easily identifiable scene from Greek or Roman mythology (like Venus and Cupid), it certainly belongs to the Romantic or Neoclassical style of painting that was very popular in 19th-century decorative arts.
• Likely Subject: This type of transfer print usually represents a Pastoral or Allegorical scene of Love, Poetry, or Friendship. The cherub strongly suggests a theme related to Cupid (Eros) or a scene depicting Venus (Aphrodite) with a companion or mortal, alluding to love or beauty.

1. Estimated Age and Origin

• Age: The style of the transfer print (romantic figures, soft colors) and the hinged porcelain form were very popular throughout the Late Victorian and Edwardian Eras, circa 1880–1915.
• Origin: The combination of detailed transferware and the porcelain quality suggest manufacture in a major European center, most likely England, Germany, or Austria (Continental Europe).