Gilt Porcelain Moon Flask Vase with Hand-Painted Landscape Reserves from Coalport, 1880

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Description

Lustrous burnished gilding completely encloses the exterior of this porcelain moon flask, extending seamlessly across the rounded body, slender cylindrical … Read more Lustrous burnished gilding completely encloses the exterior of this porcelain moon flask, extending seamlessly across the rounded body, slender cylindrical neck, and twin scrolled shoulder handles down to a raised oval pedestal foot. The smooth, reflective gold ground provides a rich contrast against the delicate miniature paintings, catching ambient light across its curved profile. Framed within crisp octagonal panels bordered in white enamel, each side presents an individually painted landscape study. One face depicts a secluded riverbank scene, showing slender birch trunks rising above dense summer trees and a weathered fallen log resting beside the water. The reverse vignette opens out to an expansive highland lake, characterised by misty mountain peaks, rocky shores, and a solitary sailing vessel drifting across calm water under a softly clouded sky.

Manufactured at the Coalport works in Shropshire around 1880, the vase exemplifies the decorative tastes of the Victorian Aesthetic Movement. Moon flasks and flattened pilgrim bottles gained immense popularity in this period, drawn from East Asian ceramic traditions and adapted by English porcelain makers for cabinet display, pairing lavish surface gilding with naturalistic miniature scenes. The glazed white underside bears the printed green Coalport crown trademark alongside pattern reference A5887 painted by hand.

Measuring 13 cm high and 13 cm wide, the piece remains in excellent antique condition, retaining intact handles, lustrous gilding, and crisp painted enamel details without chipping, hairline cracks, or previous restoration. See less