A pair of Meissen porcelain shell dishes from the dinner service with the iron red mosaic borders
The wells decorated with a design of “indianische blumen”, the edges with gilt scale pattern over an iron red ground. Blue crossed swords mark. One dish with minor firing cracks. H 5.4, W 21.2, D 18.1 and 18.5 cm.
C. 1761/62.
In 1760, King Frederick II ordered a service decorated with "Mathematical Instruments" from the Meissen manufactory for Jean-Baptiste Boyer Marquis d'Argens (1703 – 1771). It was painted according to his own designs and executed in the following year. Meissen called the elaborate relief "Prussian musical design". The "Taffel-Service mit roth Mosaique Rand und rothen Indian Bluhmen gemahlt" originally comprised 144 dinner plates, 48 soup plates and numerous bowls and tureens, as well as cutlery handles, butter dishes, salt cellars, leaf shaped bowls (designed as grapevine and poplar leaves), cloches, candlesticks and centrepieces. The “indianische blumen” that adorn the red service were accompanied by a drawing by the king and a note in the file: "With regard to the decoration, it should be noted that no colour other than red should be applied to the entire pieces, namely of the colour that the King of Bohemia's Majesty is particularly fond of, with gold mixed in". In 1763, the service was expanded to include dessert plates and other leaf shaped bowls. We do not know today whether and how the king used the service. 20 years later, in 1781, Frederick II gave the service to his general, Wichard von Möllendorff, after whom the service is named today.
Provenance
Private collection, Palatinate.
Literature
Cf. Wittwer, "hat der König von Preußen die schleunige Verferttigung verschiedener Bestellungen ernstlich begehret" Friedrich der Große und das Meißener Porzellan, in: Keramos 208/2010, p. 54 ff. Cf. cat. Triumph der Blauen Schwerter. Meissener Porzellan für Adel und Bürgertum 1710 - 1815, Dresden 2010, no. 294.