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Lot Essay
This service, delivered in 1735 to Clemens August of Bavaria (1700-1761) Archbishop Elector of Cologne, was probably made to commemorate his 35th birthday, and was publicly auctioned after his death in 1761.
Arthur Müller discusses the known surviving pieces of this service in 'Das Meissner Höroldt-Service für Clemens August, Kurfürst von Köln', Keramos (July 1958), although other pieces have come to light since then. See Meissener Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts, Katalog der Sammlung Hoffmeister (Hamburg, 1999), Vol. II, pp. 484-487, nos. 310-311 for a teabowl and saucer and a two-handled beaker and saucer from the same service, and a discussion of the numbers of forms produced for the service. Also see the teabowl and saucer (sold for the Scholarship Appeal Fund of West Dean College) sold in these Rooms on 25th November 1991, lot 342, the two teabowls and saucers from the Goulburn Collection on 1st December 1980, lots 320-321, the teabowl and saucer from the O'Byrne Collection on 27th November 1961, lot 72, another in our Geneva Rooms on 10th November 1986, lot 181, a teabowl and saucer sold by Sotheby's Zürich on 22nd May 1981, lot 34 and also lots 123-124, the two teabowls and saucers from the Darmstaedter Collection (see the Catalogue 1925, pl. 23).
Clemens August was a powerful figure in both secular and spiritual circles in the 18th century. A patron of the Arts and renowned for his elegant court, he was born into the Wittlesbach family as the fourth son of Max Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and his Polish wife, Theresia Kunigunde Sobieska. In order to strengthen the family's secular power, his father steered him into an enormously successful career in the church. Although only ordained in 1725, Pope Benedict XIII made him a bishop in 1727. He had also already secured three other bishoprics via his birthright (Munster and Paderborn in 1719, archbishop and Elector of Cologne in 1723 and bishop of Hildesheim in 1724), and this was later followed in 1728 when he was elected bishop of Osnabrück.
For a thorough account of the various secular titles and bishoprics incorporated in his coat of arms, see Ibid. (Hamburg, 1999), Vol. II, pp. 584, where the incorporation of the black cross of the Teutonic Order is also discussed. He was elected (for life) Grand Master of this enormously prestigious Order of knights in 1732; a highly lucrative position as the Order's territories were considerable at this time and the income from them would have been substantial.
For a discussion of Clemens August's collection, see Erich Köllmann, 'Kurfürst Clemens August von Köln ein Porzellansammler des 18. Jahrhunderts' Keramos (August 1961), pp. 19-34.
Arthur Müller discusses the known surviving pieces of this service in 'Das Meissner Höroldt-Service für Clemens August, Kurfürst von Köln', Keramos (July 1958), although other pieces have come to light since then. See Meissener Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts, Katalog der Sammlung Hoffmeister (Hamburg, 1999), Vol. II, pp. 484-487, nos. 310-311 for a teabowl and saucer and a two-handled beaker and saucer from the same service, and a discussion of the numbers of forms produced for the service. Also see the teabowl and saucer (sold for the Scholarship Appeal Fund of West Dean College) sold in these Rooms on 25th November 1991, lot 342, the two teabowls and saucers from the Goulburn Collection on 1st December 1980, lots 320-321, the teabowl and saucer from the O'Byrne Collection on 27th November 1961, lot 72, another in our Geneva Rooms on 10th November 1986, lot 181, a teabowl and saucer sold by Sotheby's Zürich on 22nd May 1981, lot 34 and also lots 123-124, the two teabowls and saucers from the Darmstaedter Collection (see the Catalogue 1925, pl. 23).
Clemens August was a powerful figure in both secular and spiritual circles in the 18th century. A patron of the Arts and renowned for his elegant court, he was born into the Wittlesbach family as the fourth son of Max Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and his Polish wife, Theresia Kunigunde Sobieska. In order to strengthen the family's secular power, his father steered him into an enormously successful career in the church. Although only ordained in 1725, Pope Benedict XIII made him a bishop in 1727. He had also already secured three other bishoprics via his birthright (Munster and Paderborn in 1719, archbishop and Elector of Cologne in 1723 and bishop of Hildesheim in 1724), and this was later followed in 1728 when he was elected bishop of Osnabrück.
For a thorough account of the various secular titles and bishoprics incorporated in his coat of arms, see Ibid. (Hamburg, 1999), Vol. II, pp. 584, where the incorporation of the black cross of the Teutonic Order is also discussed. He was elected (for life) Grand Master of this enormously prestigious Order of knights in 1732; a highly lucrative position as the Order's territories were considerable at this time and the income from them would have been substantial.
For a discussion of Clemens August's collection, see Erich Köllmann, 'Kurfürst Clemens August von Köln ein Porzellansammler des 18. Jahrhunderts' Keramos (August 1961), pp. 19-34.