Lot Essay
The Bavarian Court Service appears to be the earliest European hard paste porcelain service known, and was acquired by Generalfeldmarschall Ignaz Joseph Count Toerring-Jettenbach for the Bavarian Court during his stay in Vienna between 1st May 1722 and 30th June 1723. The Count represented the Elector of Bavaria in the negotiations for the terms of the marriage between Karl Albrecht Prince of Bavaria and the Austrian Archduchess Maria Amalia. For other plates and a discussion of the service, see Katharina Hantschmann, Du Paquier Contra Meissen, Frühe Wiener Porzellanservice, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, Exhibition Catalogue (Munich, 1994), pp. 33-37. Also see Meredith Chilton et al., Fired by Passion, Vienna Baroque Porcelain of Claudius Innocentius du Paquier (Stuttgart, 2009), Vol. 1, pp. 276-277. Rainer Rückert recognised the significance of the document recording the Count's purchase (the service of 'brand new design' cost 152.214 Gulden in total), see Rückert, 'Der Catalogus der Wiener Porcellaine-Lotterie des Jahres 1735, Dokumente zur Wiener Porzellangeschichte unter Meissener Archivalien', Keramos, No. 145, July 1994, p. 58.