Five items of Meissen porcelain from a service with merchant navy scenes
The teapot of bulbous form with moulded J-shaped handle and original lid. The teapot, lid, and tea bowls richly decorated with finely painted merchant navy scenes in purple camaieu. The interior of the tea bowls and underside of the saucer with bouquets of indianische blumen in purple. The rims and shoulders with fine gold lace borders. Blue crossed swords mark with slightly pronounced pommels, dreher's mark . . for Johann Martin Kittel (tea bowls and one saucer), incised / (one saucer and the teapot). H with lid 12.5 cm.
C. 1730, decor attributed to Christian Friedrich Herold.
Duke Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig (1771 - 1815), who became Duke of Oels by descent in 1805, is more commonly known under his ominous synonym "the Black Duke". As a general in the Prussian army, he enthusiastically and successfully supported Friedrich Wilhelm against the occupying Napoleonic troops. He also led his armies throughout the ongoing coalition wars against France from 1792 to 1815, and later in the victorious German Campaign of 1813 to 1815. He received his epithet some time after 1809 during the fifth coalition war when he led a regiment of 2,300 men into battle in black uniforms.
It is traditionally assumed that the duke's estate included a tea and coffee service decorated with merchant navy scenes in idealised landscapes, presumably based on Dutch engravings, in finely shaded purple camaieu.
Provenance
Formerly belonging to the estate of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig-Oels (1771 - 1815).
Acquired from Phillipps Fine Art Auctioneers, London, 5th December 1984, lots 339 and 344.
Literature
Illus. in cat.: Blütenlese. Meißener Porzellan aus der Sammlung Tono Dreßen, Munich 2018, p. 19, no. 49.
A coffee pot and two further tea bowls from the same service with original saucers are housed in the Carabelli collection (Pietsch, Frühes Meißener Porzellan Sammlung Carabelli, Munich 2000, cat. no. 77, 99-100).