Meissen Porcelain Leaf-Shaped Trinket Tray with Watteau Scene

Yes, that's a real Meissen mark on the bottom. Those two crossed blue swords aren't messing around — this little leaf-shaped tray is the real deal, and it has been since roughly 1850. It's been around longer than most countries' constitutions, and it looks considerably better.

Shaped like a ruffled leaf with a wonderfully dramatic scalloped edge in deep pink and gold, this tray features a hand-painted Watteau scene at its centre — a gentleman and a lady in 18th-century dress, doing what 18th-century people did best: standing in a garden looking elegant and slightly bored. The gilded loop handle adds a theatrical flourish that says "I have taste, and I'm not afraid to show it."

A note for the connoisseurs: the crossed swords mark has a deliberate incised cut through it — this is Meissen's own Qualitätsschnitt, applied at the factory to pieces classified as second choice (B-Wahl) due to a minor imperfection during production. This was standard Meissen practice and is itself a mark of authenticity. It does not affect the beauty of the piece one bit.

In the spirit of full transparency: there are also some very old, very minor repairs to the rim — the kind that were done by a craftsman who actually cared, probably sometime in the 1900s. They are part of the piece's history, not a flaw. This tray has lived a life.

• Maker: Meissen (blue crossed swords mark with Qualitätsschnitt / B-Wahl)
• Material: Hard-paste porcelain with gilding
• Style: Rococo / Watteau figural scene
• Dimensions: approx. 13 x 10 cm
• Weight: 90 g
• Era: circa 1850
• Condition: Good antique condition; factory B-Wahl mark; old minor rim repairs present

⚠️ WARNING: Owning a genuine Meissen piece — even a B-Wahl one — may cause an uncontrollable urge to start referring to your living room as "the salon" and serving guests tea with unnecessary ceremony. Maison de L'oro accepts no responsibility for any resulting personality changes, sudden interest in 18th-century French court life, or the compulsive need to explain what a Qualitätsschnitt is at dinner parties.