Vase Amphora “Allegory of France” ca. 1900

Ivory porcelain vessels are a specialty of the Bohemian Amphora factory Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel. The so-called portrait vases, featuring depictions of female faces in various contexts, were perfectly in tune with the contemporary taste of French Art Nouveau.
The helmet worn by the female figure on this vase is prominently adorned with the Gallic rooster, the national symbol of France. This distinctive attribute firmly identifies her as an ‘allegory of France.’ Her magnificent armor is expertly glazed and lavishly embellished with relief-like applications, enhancing the sense of refinement and strength.
Designed by Nikolaus Kannhäuser around 1902-1903, the decoration for the ‘Allegory of France’ is part of a series that includes allegories of other nations such as Germany, Austria, and Russia. These martial representations can be seen as symbols of the rising European superpowers at the turn of the 20th century.