Portrait Vase Allegory of Prussia (Germany) Nikolaus Kannhäuser Amphora ca. 1900

This delightful Amphora vase enchants with its impressive richness of detail and the quality of the executed design. It is therefore not surprising that both the design and the painting are the work of the talented artist Nikolaus Kannhäuser, who was appointed chief painter of the manufactory in 1897. Kannhäuser’s personal signature on the bottom of this filigree masterpiece also emphasizes the art historical value of this vase.

This multi-view and exquisitely preserved art object depicts an idealized profile of a young woman in the foreground. She wears a helmet adorned with a Germanic eagle’s head, which reveals the protagonist to be the allegory of Prussia (Germany). Kannhäuser’s artistic style pleases the eye with numerous gold details, such as playful ornamental lines, delicate relief contours, or large-scale accents in matte execution. In the background, a mystical forest of leafy trees is depicted – a scene that is very typical for this series of portrait vases. The artistically successful use of different intensity levels of colors gives this forest scene additional spatial depth in contrast to the placatively executed protagonist.