An impressive Meissen porcelain centrepiece vase, cover and stand, late 19th Century, after the 18th Century original by J.J. Kaendler, the Rococo scroll moulded body painted with a bust portrait of Louis XV on a pink ground within an applied gilt laurel wreath frame, surrounded by applied flowers and leaves with a branch handle to one side, the shoulders applied with figures of Flora and Fame flanking the face of Apollo within a sunburst, the reverse painted with a flower spray, the lower section of the body moulded with pink and turquoise gadrooning and applied with a flying Cupid holding a crown over the arms of France and Navarre, the pink and turquoise spirally-moulded circular foot encrusted with further flowers, the similarly decorated cover surmounted by a Cupid holding a cartouche with 'L' cypher, the flower encrusted square stand with further pink and turquoise gadrooning, all heightened in gilt, cancelled crossed swords in underglaze blue to base of both and incised 'No: 98' to base of vase, total height approx 90cm (repairs to finial, arms of figures and other chips and losses). Note: Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706-1775) modelled this vase in 1742 as the centrepiece of a garniture of five vases. The white glazed original garniture was sent to the French Court as a gift to Louis XV. The other four vases are emblematic of the four elements - Water, Fire, Air and Earth.