19th Century French Porcelain Spill Vase with Hand-painted Castle and Ship Scene

This is a stunning example of a porcelain spill vase, probably French in origin and dating to the second half of the 19th century.

The spill vase has an everted rim above two fine circumferential ridges. These surmount the central cylindrical section, which flares out at the base. Below this are three winged lion-head and gilded paw motifs that mount it to the waisted discoid base. There are three bands of gilding around the piece: above and below the central panel, and around the base.

The central column has been hand-painted on one side with a gilded cartouche containing a waterside scene with a castle and a large ship. The remainder of the body is painted in a pale blue shade, with a large floral sprig in brown on the reverse.

The base is plain and unmarked.

It has a height of approximately 13.4cm, with a diameter across the rim of about 7.1cm and across the base of about 7.1cm.

It has an unwrapped weight of 250g.

It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks, although there is some rubbing to the gilding in places.