Punch Bowl

The monumental size and dynamic modeling of this punch bowl showcase the sculptural capabilities of porcelain. Three figures in classical draperies encircle the bowl; they reach toward one another bearing roses and grapevines while three putti gather around a pineapple knop on the lid. Created by the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the bowl’s symbols of hospitality and celebration also reflect ideas of German national identity that emerged after the country’s unification in 1871. The masses of grapevines and leaves allude to the Rhineland, the center of German wine production.