Porcelain Nymphenburg Manufacture Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction

By Kimball Sterling

May 24, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-24 11:00:00 2025-05-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-19479
A European Masterpiece Cane Auction Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description
  Ca. 1870 Porcelain knob modeled to depict the head of a “Cavalier” on an integral plinth with a prominent round face marked by two cheerful eyes and a charming smile wedged between a ruffle collar and a mousquetaire hat with a raised edge at the front. The face and hair are naturalistically painted with an exceptional attention to micro detail, while the hat is plain grass-green colored and highlighted with a golden shell at the front and scattered blooms on the back. The ruffle was left white, and the plinth is embossed with the molded seal of the manufacturer, which can never be counterfeit, and emphasized with pale blue and gold moriage. This knob was modeled by the Swiss-born Franz Anton Bustelli (1723-63) for the world-famous Bavarian Nymphenburg porcelain manufacture and belongs to his Commedia Dell’arte characters, which remained forever unsurpassed in their sense of movement and grace. Porcelain art at its best, the flawless knob reflects all the seductive powers of the vitrified material and comes with a slim turned and gilt metal collar on a well-streaked rosewood shaft with bright hues and a matching horn ferrule. Nymphenburg porcelain canes are extremely difficult to come by, making them a true collector's item with excellent market value. 3” x 2”, O.L. 40 ¼” $800-$1,200 In the 18th century, porcelain was the ultimate status symbol for Europe’s royals. So prized was this hard but delicate material that it was known as “white gold.” And as Janet Gleeson’s 1998 history, “The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story,” makes clear, princes and dukes were not above imprisoning craftsmen to discover the secret and keep it for themselves. Nymphenburg Porcelain Factory was founded in 1747 in Bavaria and moved to Nymphenburg on the outskirts of Munich in 1761. Hard-paste porcelain was made from the beginning, but in 1757 its quality improved, and it was used to make Rococo figures, including those modeled by Franz Bustelli. The Nymphenburg factory also produced veilleuses and tableware and was specialized in the production of cane handles and small boxes. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Nymphenburg mainly produced busts, reliefs, classic figures, and tableware in Sèvres Empire style. Early 20th-century products include art nouveau tableware and figures. Franz Anton Bustelli was a brilliant sculptor. He was also a master of observation. The facial expressions of his figures are so accurate, modern, and timeless that Nymphenburg selected some of his character heads to turn into bottle corks. A cavalier, a pretty girl, and the harlequin provide an illustrious accompaniment to a good bottle of wine. So let’s raise our glasses to the superb sculptor, who still shapes the spirit of the porcelain manufactory today as he did 250 years ago.
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