Pommel swords, circa 1900, First selection.

Ø 26.5 cm.

Multi-pass plate with cobalt ground, in the mirror the finely enamel-painted depiction of Venus hovering in front of a rose branch, holding the arrow of Cupid in her hand. The rim richly painted in gold with an enamel-painted pink egg-and-dart border and blue enamel ornaments. Partial gold abrasion to the rim.

Pâte-sur-pâte (French for "mass on mass") is an elaborate porcelain decoration technique in which a relief motif is created by layer painting with liquid porcelain paste (slip) on unglazed, usually colored mass. The technique creates fine, cameo-like, semi-transparent white-on-white effects.pâte-sur-pâte painting was originally invented in Sévres and caused a sensation at the London World's Fair in 1851. The technique was rediscovered by Dr. J. Hinze at the Meissen porcelain manufactory around 1878 and was particularly popular at the end of the 19th century.