CIRCA 1738-1739, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, DREHER'S III TO FOOTRIM AND QUARTERED CIRCLE

Details

A MEISSEN ARMORIAL DISH FROM THE SWAN SERVICE
CIRCA 1738-1739, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, DREHER'S III TO FOOTRIM AND QUARTERED CIRCLE
Modelled by J.J. Kändler with two swans and a heron among bulrushes, waves, fish and shells, a small hut to the far left, below a heron in flight above against a spirally-radiating shell-moulded ground, the border centred with the Brühl coat-of-arms with lion supporters and with scattered sprays and sprigs of indianische Blumen, within a shaped gilt-dentil rim (restoration to rim at 5 and 9 o'clock, very slight flaking to enamels, some small firing faults to surface)
13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) wide

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Lot Essay

The Swan service was made for Heinrich Graf von Brühl (1700-1763), Prime Minister of Saxony and Director of the Meissen factory from 1733-63. Count Brühl commissioned the service in 1737 on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Anna Franziska von Kolowrat-Krakowska. The moulded decoration (a play on the word Brühl, meaning 'watery') was carried out by J.J. Kändler with the assistance of J.F. Eberlein, and Kändler began work on the larger pieces for the service in the summer of 1737. It would appear to be the largest service produced in the 18th century and Rainer Rückert (Meissen Porzellan 1710-1810, Munich, 1966, p. 118) estimates its original size to have been between 2,200 and 2,400 pieces. For a full discussion of the service see Exhibition Catalogue, Schwanen service Meissener Porzellan für Heinrich Graf von Brühl, Dresden, 2000, and a dish of similar size is illustrated on p. 158, no. 27.

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