Paint Decorated Lidded Urn – Krautheim China

This painted lidded urn by Krautheim, Selb Bavaria, is a striking example of early twentieth-century German porcelain at its most ornate. The globular body is defined by deep vertical lobing, each panel filled with hand-painted sprays of green foliate scrollwork and amber-centered blossoms rendered in cobalt blue and forest green. A rich gilt band frames both the shoulder and the domed, melon-ribbed lid, which is crowned by a gilded pineapple finial, a classical symbol of hospitality and luxury. The overall palette of ivory, deep navy, and warm gold gives the piece a refined, jewel-like presence.

Krautheim & Adelberg was founded in 1884 by Christoph Krautheim in Selb, Germany, in the heart of Bavaria’s celebrated porcelain-producing region. Marks dating to the 1914–1922 period align with the style of this urn, pointing to production during the company’s early decorative heyday. The floral vocabulary and lavish gilding are consistent with the aesthetic influences of the Arts and Crafts and early Art Nouveau movements of that era.