Miniature on Porcelain
An art form of painting on small porcelain surfaces
Miniature on porcelain refers to exquisite small sculptural or painted objects made of faience, most often figurines, busts, chandeliers, tiny decorative panels. The genre's birth is linked to the European fashion of the 18th-19th centuries for adorning cabinets, ladies' boudoirs, and porcelain factory display windows with unusual trinkets. Faience body is distinguished by its exceptional whiteness and the ability to precisely render details, allowing craftsmen to create miniatures with expressive faces, folds of clothing, and even individuality.
Sometimes such pieces are no more than a couple of centimeters in height, yet they can be true collector's gems.
Amusingly, some factories, to hide minor defects, turned them into decorative details: a miniature with a 'mole' instead of a chip!
Today, faience miniatures at auctions often fetch higher prices than much larger vases or pitchers, for small-scale plastic art is a test of a master's craft and imagination.