Large KPM Berlin "Urbino vase with snake handles" and soft painting On an octagonal, stepped pedestal with round foot, ovoid body with rounded shoulder, merging into a narrowed neck and wide, sweeping rim. At the sides, richly gilded handles in the shape of a pair of spiralling snakes curving upwards above a leaf relief base. On the front of the wall a large arrangement of anemones and Cupid with a branch rejoicing in this sea of flowers. At the back, widely branching hedge roses with a swarm of butterflies. Virtuoso, partly white heightened, so-called soft painting in colourful, diffuse polychrome painting. The foot, the sides of the handle and the shoulder and neck with delicate floral and ornamental gold relief borders on a partly mint-green and salmon-coloured ground. Mould designed by Julius Wilhelm Mantel, 1855. Minimally restored; very minimally chipped; sceptre, eagle and painter's mark. H. 48 cm. The so-called "Urbino vase" is modelled on 16th century Italian majolica vases from Urbino. So-called "soft painting" is a special form of flower painting that is closely associated with the Berlin KPM. It is characterised by a particularly soft style of painting flowers in delicate pastel shades with blurred contours, sometimes in combination with putti or portraits of girls, among others, against diffuse backgrounds, creating a harmonious and individual interplay of colours. Cf. Dietz, Sabet Collection, pp. 55f., 109, 166 ff.; Keramos, vol. 222, 2013, p. 41. A large porcelain snake handled vase with virtuosly painted flower decoration in so-called "Weichmalerei". Minor restored. Very minor chipped. Sceptre-, eagle- and painter's mark. KPM-Berlin. 2nd half 19th century.