Bidspirit auction | Copy of 1774 Hochst Bisque

Copy of 1774 Hochst Bisque Porcelain Relief Plaque of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - A white bisque porcelain oval relief plaque depicting a profile portrait of the German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at the age of twenty-five. The subject is shown in profile facing right, with long hair tied back in a queue and wearing a cravat and draped garment. The portrait is set against a stippled ground within a raised oval border. The reverse of the plaque features a blue underglaze mark consisting of a six-spoked wheel inside a circle with the name HOCHST printed in a sans-serif font below it. A molded, recessed rectangular panel on the reverse contains embossed German text reading: Der 25 jaehrige Goethe modelliert 1774 von seinem Freunde Johann Peter Melchior Hoechster Porzellanmanufaktur. This identifies the piece as being modeled by the master modeler Johann Peter Melchior for the Hochst Porcelain Manufactory. A single suspension hole is present at the top for wall mounting, as manufactured. Height: 6 1/4 inches; Width: 4 1/2 inches. The item is in excellent condition. There are no visible chips, cracks, or repairs to the delicate relief work on the front (photos 1, 2, and 3) or to the reverse (photos 4 and 5). The reverse shows minor surface dust and very light shelf wear to the raised outer rim (photo 4). The suspension hole is intact as manufactured.