TROMPE-L'OEIL LEMON TUREEN Höchst, circa 1750.

TROMPE-L'OEIL LEMON TUREEN

Höchst, circa 1750.
Faience decorated in overglaze enamels. The fruit painted in yellow and green, resting on a tied bouquet of flowers applied to a vine leaf. Iron-red wheel mark and secondary mark.
L 19.5 cm, H 9 cm.
Various restorations.

Provenance:
- Antiques Trade in Switzerland, 1987.
- Peter Ducret Collection, Kilchberg.

Like the melon, the lemon was one of the exotic fruits that Höchst produced in faience in various forms. A Höchst lemon box is documented in the archives as early as 1748: Christian Wilhelm von Löwenfinck took one with him when he left Höchst in late 1748, demonstrating that the form was already part of the manufactory’s repertoire at that time (Reber 1986, p. 130).

The Electoral Mainz Porcelain Manufactory at Höchst (1746–1758)

Adam Friedrich von Löwenfinck founded the Höchst Porcelain Manufactory in 1746 together with two Frankfurt merchants, Johann Christoph Goeltz and Johann Felizian Clarus.

Drawing on his previous experience, most recently in Fulda until 1744, he had mastered the technique of producing a high-quality, porcelain-like glaze. From 1746 to 1749, the manufactory produced faience exclusively. Löwenfinck left the manufactory as early as 1749 and moved to Strasbourg. He was succeeded by Louy de Fonty until 1750, followed by Johann Kilian Benckgraff as director from 1750 to 1753. Benckgraff was an arcanist and was instrumental in technically improving the production of faience. The first successful developments in porcelain production from 1750 onwards led to the gradual abandonment of faience manufacture, which finally ceased in 1758.