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Lot Essay
In 1721, Christian VI of Denmark (1699-1746), married Sophia Magdalena, daughter of Christian Heinrich Margraf von Brandenburg-Kulmbach and niece of Eberhardine von Brandenburg-Kulmbach, consort of Augustus the Strong. Thus a relationship was founded that led to his order or gift of several important pieces from the Meissen factory.
Amongst this group of exceptional pieces is an inkstand in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, illustrated by P. W. Meister and H. Reber, Europäisches Porzellan (Fribourg, 1980), p. 132, pls. 184-5, which is decorated with European harbour scenes as well as Höroltmalerei chinoiserie scenes. Most unusually, the stand is decorated in the tromp l'oeil style with two fragments from a 1735 calendar which highlight the Royal birthdays of Christian VI and his consort on 30 and 29 (November). Similar decoration also appears on a dish at Rosenborg with the fragments reserved against a spider's web, illustrated by G. E. Pazaurek, Meissner Porzellanmalerei des 18. Jahrhundert (Stuttgart, 1929), p. 47, pl. 25.
For a teabowl and saucer from the above sale see Dieter Hoffmeister, 'Meissener Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts' Katalog der Sammlung Hoffmeister (Hamburg, 1999) Vol. II, pp. 488-9, no. 312, and pp. 578-9, no. 8 for a discussion of the coat-of-arms. The present teabowl and saucer, like the example now in the Hoffmeister collection is of the small size.
The 1797 catalogue listing does not differentiate between the sizes of the teabowls listing just 18 teabowls and saucers. The 1986 catalogue lists six teabowls in the medium size, nine teabowls of the smaller size, eight saucers of the medium size and six of the smaller size as well as a further large saucer. There were variations throughout the service in the colour of paste and the thickness of potting as well as the sizes of the teabowls and saucers. It was pressumed that the service was a special order which would need to be rapidly filled, therefore it was formed using white porcelain from earlier stock as well as wares from current production. Barbara E. Messerli-Bolliger suggests in her article 'Die Porzellansammlung des Jacobs Suchard Museums in Zürich' Keramos, No. 123, 1989, pp. 8-9 that the service was originally for tea, coffee and chocolate, hence the incorporation of two-handled beakers and bowls in two sizes. See also Ulrich Pietsch, 'Early Meissen Porcelain, Carabelli Collection' Catalogue (Munich, 2000), p. 136, no. 57.
Right, the illustration is slightly larger than actual size
Amongst this group of exceptional pieces is an inkstand in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, illustrated by P. W. Meister and H. Reber, Europäisches Porzellan (Fribourg, 1980), p. 132, pls. 184-5, which is decorated with European harbour scenes as well as Höroltmalerei chinoiserie scenes. Most unusually, the stand is decorated in the tromp l'oeil style with two fragments from a 1735 calendar which highlight the Royal birthdays of Christian VI and his consort on 30 and 29 (November). Similar decoration also appears on a dish at Rosenborg with the fragments reserved against a spider's web, illustrated by G. E. Pazaurek, Meissner Porzellanmalerei des 18. Jahrhundert (Stuttgart, 1929), p. 47, pl. 25.
For a teabowl and saucer from the above sale see Dieter Hoffmeister, 'Meissener Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts' Katalog der Sammlung Hoffmeister (Hamburg, 1999) Vol. II, pp. 488-9, no. 312, and pp. 578-9, no. 8 for a discussion of the coat-of-arms. The present teabowl and saucer, like the example now in the Hoffmeister collection is of the small size.
The 1797 catalogue listing does not differentiate between the sizes of the teabowls listing just 18 teabowls and saucers. The 1986 catalogue lists six teabowls in the medium size, nine teabowls of the smaller size, eight saucers of the medium size and six of the smaller size as well as a further large saucer. There were variations throughout the service in the colour of paste and the thickness of potting as well as the sizes of the teabowls and saucers. It was pressumed that the service was a special order which would need to be rapidly filled, therefore it was formed using white porcelain from earlier stock as well as wares from current production. Barbara E. Messerli-Bolliger suggests in her article 'Die Porzellansammlung des Jacobs Suchard Museums in Zürich' Keramos, No. 123, 1989, pp. 8-9 that the service was originally for tea, coffee and chocolate, hence the incorporation of two-handled beakers and bowls in two sizes. See also Ulrich Pietsch, 'Early Meissen Porcelain, Carabelli Collection' Catalogue (Munich, 2000), p. 136, no. 57.
Right, the illustration is slightly larger than actual size