Masterpiece

Royal Copenhagen painter Stephan Ussing (1868-1958) is known for his depictions of swans. This choice of subject is understandable: unpainted porcelain comes out of the kiln perfectly white, a feature that Ussing took advantage of.

This vase, depicting swans on a city canal, is exceptional not only for its exquisite underglaze painting but also because it was fired in two parts. The shape of the vase (model 127) was designed personally by Royal Copenhagen’s artistic director, Arnold Krog, but it seems that the thick foot caused some problems in the firing. So as not to risk losing Ussing’s marvellous image, the decorative foot was cut loose beforehand and fired and painted separately. Only after the second firing was the entire vase reassembled and the excellent result became visible.

That the factory must have regarded this work as a masterpiece is apparent from the sales book, in which this vase is listed as At the Waterfront with the astronomical price of 3000 crowns, the equivalent of around 30,000 euros today.