Blue hand painted vase

Hi all was hoping for some clarification on this vase. Is hand painted but my thoughts initially were a Sunday painter had bought the vase and painted it fairly detailed on picture but quite sloppy on edges is 100mm high appreciate any input chris

 

Hi Chris - I usually refer to these as portrait pitchers. It looks typical of ware coming out of Germany around 1900. I can't see the picture well enough to tell if it's completely hand painted or only partially. Sometimes a decal was used and then hand-painted details added. If you see any tiny dots in the center decoration (rather than brush strokes) than the pitcher would be a combo. The sloppy edges are not necessarily an indication of a hobbyist painter. The folks working on these items were often paid by the piece so speed was of the essence.

There are collectors of these items, especially in cobalt (like yours), but as you've noticed the quality is not top-notch. There are a few condition issues, too, in the scratches to the decoration. All this holds value down. You're starting to develop an eye for older pieces though.
Don

 

Thanks for that dan didn't expect that added a couple of closer images I can't see any dots but you might have a better eye than me

 

Looks hand-painted to me. The dots seem to show up most easily on the face and hands. A jeweler's eye helps. If you don't already have one, consider purchasing a 10X jeweler's loupe. Shouldn't run you much more than $10 or so. Another possibility I forget to mention is that sometimes the outline can be a decal and then it would hand colored.

As you're just beginning I would start with marked pieces of porcelain. The 14 on your pitcher is either a decorator or shape number and is of no real use for an ID. There are fakes out there but with a little experience you'll learn to spot those pretty quickly. As you handle more and more porcelain you'll get the hang of recognizing at least the country of origin almost from across the room. Antique shows and auctions are a good way to learn and can expose you to some of the better manufacturers. Again, after awhile you'll learn to make a rough guess at even the unmarked pieces. Handle everything you can!

This was how I learned. Some folks had mentors but these are harder and harder to find nowadays. There will always be someone here to assist you.
Don

 

I'd guess it's hand colored over a transfer print. The transfer would have been pretty much a line drawing that colorist subsequently filled in. Look at the way the color lies around the collar.

 

Thanks guys for all that info I have ordered a loupe either way Decal or hand painted is it still from the same era as mentioned earlier and was it a good enough buy for 4 dollars

 

Definitely....

 

I know this is not a valuation site but does anyone have an idea of a price range for this vase at all.

 

Very modest value, IMHO.