Stunning Antique Alt Wien Old Vienna or Augarten Porcelain Manufactory Hand Painted and Hand Gilded Small Coffee Can and Matching Saucer, with the Authentic Bindenschild Shield Backstamps

I am continuing my effort to downsize, following our house move, and it seems to be never-ending!
I have a few items of porcelain which I no longer have room for, as this house is smaller than our previous one. I had to sell my china cabinets and no longer have a suitable place to display these very special Antique Alt Wien Old Vienna pieces, and they no longer fit in with my current design aesthetic.

It’s a shame to have these stunning pieces packed away, I would prefer that someone with a passion for this style of Porcelain would appreciate them as part of their collection.

For sale here is a Stunning Antique Alt Wien Old Vienna or Augarten Porcelain Manufactory Hand Painted and Hand Gilded Small Coffee Can and Matching Saucer, with the Authentic Bindenschild Shield Backstamps

This Coffee Can Duo is just amazing in the detail of the hand-painting and hand gilding. When I first bought the duo, I just had an inkling that they were special, but I did presume, although they were in very fine porcelain, that the decoration and gilding was transfer printed.
Imagine my surprise when I looked at them in more detail with glasses on, and discovered that all the decoration is completely hand-painted, no transfer printing at all.
Every detail of the two lovers on the oval cartouche, is hand-painted, along with the background foliage, and the two cartouches on the saucer also.
And then to discover that all of the intricate gilding has also been applied by hand, painted freehand, with subtle differences in the pattern throughout. I had presumed that a repeat pattern transfer had been used, but every section of gilt has been painted freehand.

From research, I discovered that this duo could be Alt Wien, “Old Vienna” from the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory which operated from 1719 to 1864, as the original legitimate “Bindenschild” shield underglaze backstamp is present. This, combined with the fact that the porcelain is so fine and the presence of Hand-painting and Hand-gilding throughout, leans to this duo being the genuine article from the Classical period of Alt Wien.

Or it could be a Classical revival piece from the 1920’s from the new Viennese porcelain manufactory, Augarten which was established in 1923. They produced high quality classical revival pieces in the style of Old Vienna, and these are also very sought-after and collectable.

Either way, this duo is from Vienna, and either way it’s an antique, over 100 years old, and all hand painted and hand gilded.
Both Cup and Saucer are in excellent Antique condition with no chips or cracks. There is minor ware to the gilt in places, but less than would be expected from pieces this old. The duo is small, demi-tasse sized and the measurements are in the photos.

Priced and selling as pieces from the 1920’s, as I cannot 100% guarantee that they are circa 1800’s, although that is my gut.

I have a second duo available in another ad, same style, same condition, but different courting couple scenes. (see the last photo for both duos together)

See below for some info about the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory, and the famous “bindenschild” shield backstamp:

The Vienna Porcelain Manufactory was established in 1719 by Claudius Innocentius du Paquier, making it the second oldest porcelain manufacturer in Europe, (after Meissen). Not too long after the manufactory’s establishment, it and du Paquier came under financial difficulties. Du Paquier in 1744 sold the manufactory to the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. It was from then on that it became known as The Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory of Vienna.

After the manufactory came under imperial ownership, it began marking its porcelain with a “bindenschild”, or what is now commonly referred to as a “beehive mark”. The bindenschild itself was a representation of the imperial family’s coat of arms, and when looked at upside down could be mistaken for a beehive. The mark would be applied to the underside of a piece in a blue underglaze, and in 1783 the manufactory also began to add date marks.
Production quality would take a turn for the worse starting around 1805, and The Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory of Vienna inevitably closed its doors in 1864, not to open again until 1923. What makes this manufactory so interesting, though, is how many forgeries of its china have been made over the years, including well into the present day.

Most forgers attempt to trick prospective buyers by applying their own version of the beehive mark to their porcelain. These marks can be spotted as forgeries in a few different ways:
1. The mark is not applied in a blue underglaze. Any marking made in an overglaze or different color is in all likelihood a forgery. In its early days the manufactory did occasionally apply their marking in a red underglaze, but that quickly fell away as the blue became standard.
2. The mark is too uniform/symmetrical. The bindenschild would have been applied by hand, and so anything that is perfectly symmetrical and clearly been done by machine is a forgery.
3. The mark is upside down. Many forgers prey on the fact that the bindenschild is referred to as a beehive mark, and will orient the mark alongside text so that it looks more like a beehive.
4. Additional Marks and Writing. additional marks or writings such as “Vienna” or “Royal Vienna” are also likely forgeries. Or the addition of sigantures or descriptions or names of the pieces, would signify forgeries.

Since the very beginning the porcelain has been handgilded and handpainted.
In 1744, this year began the Rococo period for the factory. Beginning in 1780 along with the direction of Conrad Sörgel von Sorgenthal, the manufactory entered the classicism. Napoleonic wars brought the manufactory to the brink of existence. The revival came in 1815 after the Vienna Congress at the beginning of the 19th century. Along with rise of the aspiring Biedermeier bourgeoisie, the Vienna factory entered the delicate flower decorations period.

The industralisation brought growing competition from factories mass producing porcelain items. Finally factory was closed in 1864 due to financial problems. The porcelain of the original Vienna manufactory up until 1864 is often referred to as Alt Wien ("Old Vienna").

In 1923, after the dissolution of the Habsburg Monarchy, the factory was reopened as the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory. Under this name, the company remains renowned far beyond the borders of Vienna to this day. It is named after the Augarten, a Baroque park where the Augarten manufactory building and the Porcelain Museum are located.