A rare Meissen purple-ground spirit barrel and figural stopper, circa 1740-45

Moulded with gilt-edged hoops, each end painted with an elaborate chinoiserie harbour scene and green-edged rim, one with a small apeture for a tap, the purple-ground reserved with quatrelobe panels with similar scenes, two polychrome scenes each side of the apeture edged with gilt scrollwork, four panels with iron-red and two with black monochrome scenes, the stopper with a bacchic youth draped in fruiting vines, together with a gilt-metal stand, 15.5cm long, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to one edge (beneath gilding), (restoration to stopper) (2)

Provenance:
Private Collection, U.K., sold in these Rooms, 14 June 2017, lot 129;
Private Collection, U.K.

The model for this spirit barrel was created by J.J. Kaendler after August 1738, and the figural stopper in April 1739, when it is mentioned in Kaendler's work notes. A similar model with yellow ground together with its stand painted with the arms of Count Brühl is illustrated in U. Pietsch/C. Banz, Triumph der blauen Schwerter (2010), no. 172. The inventory of Count Brühl's pantry lists '3 Grosse Fässer mit 1 Bacchus' and '2 kleinere dergl.' [3 large barrels with 1 Bacchus and 2 smaller similar].