Matthew Barton Ltd.
Lot 468
A BERLIN LARGE GROUP 'NEREID ON A HIPPOCAMPUS', MID 20TH CENTURY modelled by Paul Scheurich in 1939/40 for the table garniture 'Geburt der Schönheit', showing the backward looking nymph astride the mythical beast who rears above the spume, on shaped plinth base, KPM underglaze blue sceptre mark and impressed F 42cm high Professor Paul Scheurich (1883-1945) won the commission to model a set of Berlin porcelain table decorations for the dining room in Ribbentrop's newly refurbished palace of the foreign ministry, despite the fact that another set of designs by Trude Petri for KPM were already far advanced. The KPM director, Max Pfeiffer, disappointed by Petri's Wagnerian themes, won over Frau von Ribbentrop with Scheurich's drawings of mythical sea related subjects. The models were complete by 1940 for the room featuring a twenty metre long table, the ensemble themed 'Geburt der Schönheit' (Birth of Beauty), the centrepiece to feature The Birth of Venus (although it would appear this was never executed in porcelain) surrounded by large groups of Tritons and Nereids and smaller figures of sea sprites. For another example of this rare model, titled in German 'Najade auf Hippocamp' see Auktionshaus Bergmann, Erlangen, 15 March 2008, lot 277. Also see Christie's, New York, 26 November 2013, lot 62 for a collection of eight other figures from the set. Associated literature: E. Köllmann & M. Jarchow, Berliner Porzellan, Munich, 1987, Vol. II, p. 143; also see: http://www.meissnertageblatt.de/geschichte/607-paul-scheurich-ein-wanderer-zwischen-welten - accessed 28 March 2017
