Two plates from a dessert service gifted to the Princess of Orange by Frederick II
Model no. 216, the centre decorated with crisply modelled basketwork relief surrounding rose blossoms, bordered by six pierced spandrels and alternating opened and closed rose buds, with gilt laurel edging. Blue sceptre mark, the early plate marked K. D ca. 23.5 cm.
Berlin, KPM, 1770 and ca. 1780.
The recipient of this service was Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia (1751 - 1820), daughter of Frederick II's younger brother August Wilhelm of Prussia. She married Prince Wilhelm V. Batavus, Prince of Orange and Nassau, in 1767. Frederick ordered this dinner and dessert service on 24th February 1770, and it was delivered on 22nd December of the same year. The second plate in this lot almost certainly originates from a subsequent order placed around 10 years later.
According to the archives published by Lenz (1/1913), the dessert service included: "8 dozen plates with openwork borders, 16 sweatmeat leaves, 10 fruit bowls, 4 gelée dishes, 2 tureens and stands". It is described as being "painted with rose bouquets and richly gilt" (from the German).
Provenance
Purchased 1977 from Hans H Mischell, Cologne.
Collection of Prof. Dr. Gisela Zick.
Literature
An early dessert plate in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne (Beaucamp-Markowsky, Cologne 1980, no. 228); two further examples in cat.: Berliner Porzellan, Münster 2006, no. 61.