EIGHT PORCELAIN FIGURES FROM THE "WEDDING PROCESSION".
KPM. Berlin. 1906-1919; once without definite year mark. Models A. Amberg.

Porcelain; colour and gold enriched. Japanese with fish; Arab with bag pipes; African with monkey; Indian with turkey; Goth with wind chime; African with bugle; bride and groom from the wedding procession by Adolf Amberg. 31.5 - 41.5cm.
Sceptre mark; red imperial orb resp. bride with war mark 1918-19; Japanese/Arab/Bride/Bridegroom with blue imperial orb. Annual letters for 1908/1906/ four times with jubilee mark for 150th Anniversary 1913; various incised signs; embossing numbers and painter's signet. Condition A; once A/B and twice C.

Provenance:
Privatate collection Hesse.

Literature:
- Br鰄an-Museum; Berlin (ed.): Porzellan. Kunst und Design 1889 bis 1939. Vom Jugendstil
zum Funktionalismus; Berlin 1996; cf. pp. 21; 122.
-Hoffmann; Tobias/Kanowski; Claudia (ed.): Lust auf Dekor. KPM-Porzellane zwischen
Jugendstil und Art Deco. Die 膔a Schmuz-Baudi? Cologne 2013; cf. pp. 139.
-von Treskow; Irene: Die Jugendstil-Porzellane KPM Berlin; Munich 1971; cf. pp. 109.
-Westheim; Paul: Von der Renaissance des Berliner Porzellans; in: Deutsche Kunst &
Dekoration; Vol. 29 (1911/12); pp. 82.

1904 Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia was engaged to the young duchess Cecilie of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The wedding the following year became a societal mega event that was
held in Berlin with elaborate celebrations and a large-scale festive parade. As wedding
present; the cities commissioned the design for the silver centrepiece in the shape of a
wedding procession. The theme of the ensemble was conceived as an homage to the bridal
couple by emmissaries of various nations.
The design by the sculptor Adolf Amberg distanced itself from the historism style
cultivated by the old empire and aspired to the innovations of the art nouveau style.
During times; in which questions of "Sittlichkeit" (societal morality) were on the
political agenda; Amberg's exotic; sparesly dressed figures were not what was wished to be
seen on the banquet table at court. As such the design was rejected by Empress Auguste
Victoria; and was eventually bought in 1908 by the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory Berlin
(KPM).
In 1910 the KPM already presented select figures from this ensemble at the world
exhibition in Brussels; for which Amberg was awarded a gold medal there. At the big
Berliner Kunstausstellung (Berlin art exhibition) 1911 the centrepiece was presented in
its entirety for the first time and was seen by delighted critics as the clear pinnacle of
the show. There phrases were uttered such as "Renaissance des Berliner Porzellans"
(Renaissance of Berlin porcelain) and "einer Gesamtkomposition von k鰊iglicher
Erlesenheit" (an overall composition of royal elegance).

The complete wedding procession consists of 20 figures; a jardiniere; two shallow fruit
bowls and two six-flamed girandoles. In order to achieve the complete narrative and
compositorial effect; the figures must be set in a certain order. The entourage of the
groom; who is dressed as a Roman warrior; and that of the bride are moving towards each
other. The bride; depicted as Europa on the Bull; has a female; the groom a male
entourage. These are paying homage to the couple with gifts from nature; from the crafts
and from the arts and differ from the protagonists; who possess a statue-like calm; by
their dance-like; dynamic poses. The gait motifs of the individual figures are succintly
carved out. The overall impression is reminiscent of a rehearsed choreography. Indeed;
Amberg's design plays with the principles of the dance style modern in 1900. In the new;
"Sinfonische Ausdruckstanz" (symphonic expression dance) the striding; walking; and
turning of oneself played a central role. The elegance of the movement is paired with soft
shapes. The softly modelled contours and wide areas smoothly flow into one another and
support the dance-like character of each figure. Amberg creates a rhythm for the eye; that
can be found in the individual figures; as well as in their relation to one another.


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