Late 19th-century porcelain - Lot 241

Late 19th-century porcelain A tobacco jar whose body, made of sky-blue porcelain decorated with finely drawn pink branches and flowers, is shaped like a cup resting on a saucer, which features a compartment for unused matches and a tray for used matches. A biscuit-porcelain coat of arms on the front of the jar serves as a scraper. In its upper third, there is an eight-hole pipe holder in midnight blue with a gold border. As for the lid, it is the same as the one in Fig. 61: a musketeer with his arms crossed, wearing a hollowed-out hat with large pink and blue feathers, which serves as a match holder. We know that the lid and body are not part of the same set; this object was therefore reassembled by its user, and the imperfect seal is compensated for by a small compartment inside the jar where a humidifying sponge could be inserted. This “DIY” modification demonstrates not only the smoker’s ingenuity but also their aesthetic sensibility, as the jar and lid complement each other perfectly. No mark. Possibly from the Conta and Böhme factory. Minor chips. Height: 22 cm