A Meissen porcelain dessert plate from the Schwerin service made for Friedrich II
The pierced rim decorated with forget-me-not motifs, the centre with fruit and flowers. Blue crossed swords mark. D 24 cm.
Circa 1762 / 63.
On occasion of his birthday on 24th January 1781, Friedrich II gifted two important services which he had commissioned from the Meissen manufactory: The so-called Möllendorff service in honour of his General and brother in arms Wichard von Möllendorff (1724 - 1816) and a large dessert service for Major General and Master of Horse Count Friedrich Albrecht von Schwerin (1717 - 1789). The latter, which was already ordered in September 1762 in anticipation of the end of the war and to which this plate belongs, was among the most ambitious orders placed by Friedrich during the Seven Years' War.
Literature
For more on this service cf.: Wittwer, „hat der König von Preußen die schleunige Verfertigung verschiedener Bestellungen ernstlich begehret“ – Friedrich der Große und das Meißener Porzellan, in: Keramos, 208/2010, p. 62 ff.
Cf. Nabrdalik, "Neues zu einzelnen Tafelgeschirren Friedrichs des Großen aus der Berliner Porzellanmanufaktur, Berliner Ergänzungen zu einem Tafelservice, ein Geschenk Friedrichs des Großen an den Oberstallmeister Friedrich Albrecht Graf von Schwerin, in: Keramos, 152/1996, p. 3 ff.