For two of van de Velde’s studies for this plate in the Archives Henry van de Velde, Brussels, E.N.S.A.A.V., inv. 1253-4, see Houston 1976, Institute for the Arts, Rice University, ‘Art Nouveau Belgium France’, Y. Brunhammer at al, no. 491. Each drawing is labelled ‘Kgl. Porzellan-Manufactur Meissen’ with ‘1’ and ‘iv’. They both vary from the plates as executed: neither has the pattern of squares within the whiplash motif.
This plate is unusual in having a pierced rim which appears to be a combination of two van de Velde designs. In addition to the painted whiplash motif, he also designed a plain white border pattern comprising the same moulded relief whiplash and a pierced motif filling the rest of the rim (J. Just, ‘Meissener Jugendstil Porzellan’, Leipzig 1983, pl. 90). Along the edge of the pierced motif is a row of pierced slashes, as on the plate shown above. According to Just, the pierced model was too expensive to produce and was rejected by both designer and manufacturer. In view of the cost of the pierced work, the factory may have decided to retain just the simple pierced slashes on some pieces, which were then painted as usual.
A modification which appears to be the factory’s own is to be found on a plate in the Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, where the whiplash motif in blue is combined with a chequerboard pattern in gold filling the rest of the border (C.B. Heller, ‘Kataloge des Hessischeen Landesmuseum Nr. 12. Jugendstil. Kunst um 1900’, Darmstadt 1982. no. 406)