Antique cobalt blue floral porcelain vase with gilt decoration

This striking antique vase is an excellent example of 19th‑century Continental porcelain, decorated in the rich “sevres style” that was highly fashionable in the Victorian era. Standing at approximately 19–20 cm tall, it has an elegant baluster form set on a spreading circular foot and finished with a dramatically flared, scalloped rim. The body is made from fine white porcelain, then completely overpainted with a deep matte cobalt blue ground, leaving shaped reserves on the front to frame the principal decoration.

The front reserve is painted with a colourful hand‑enamelled bouquet of garden flowers, including full‑blown pink roses, pansies, primulas and smaller scattered blossoms, arranged in a naturalistic, almost overflowing composition. The artist has used soft shading and fine outlining to capture the texture of petals and foliage, with small insects or buds adding life to the scene. This floral panel is bordered by scrolling gilt cartouches that link seamlessly into the surrounding blue ground.

Against the cobalt field, lavish burnished and tooled gilding forms asymmetric Rococo scrolls, palmettes and stylised foliage, echoing late 18th‑century French taste. These gilt motifs continue around the entire circumference of the vase, so the reverse is as decorative as the front, even without a floral reserve. The neck is encircled by double moulded rings highlighted in gold and white, visually separating the body from the flared mouth. Inside, the vase is glazed in clean white, a contrast that emphasises the sculptural silhouette when viewed from above.

The rim edge is picked out in gold and moulded into regular lobes, giving a coronet‑like profile. Close inspection shows small areas of rubbing, tiny gilt losses and a minor nibble or firing flaw to one lobe, all consistent with age and handling. Similar gentle wear appears on the raised gilt bands and around the foot, where light abrasion to the gilding reveals the underlying white porcelain at the high points. The base is unmarked and finished with a glazed footrim, slightly soiled from age, further supporting a 19th‑century date and likely origin in one of the established European porcelain centres producing Sevres‑inspired wares for the middle‑class market.

Overall condition is very presentable, with no obvious structural cracks, restoration or body chips visible in the images, only age‑appropriate surface wear to the gilding and enamels. The cobalt ground remains strong and vibrant, and the floral painting retains excellent colour saturation. Displayed on a mantel, in a cabinet or as part of a grouping of similar blue‑ground pieces, this vase offers a striking pop of colour and a refined decorative accent. It is suitable for light use with fresh or dried flowers, though collectors may prefer to keep it as a purely ornamental object to preserve the original gilding. For decorators, photographers and stylists, it provides an instantly recognisable antique focal point that evokes Victorian opulence and the enduring appeal of hand‑painted porcelain.