Live Auction 20367The Exceptional Sale
A ROYAL COPENHAGEN PORCELAIN 'FLORA DANICA' PATTERN PART TABLE-SERVICE
Lot 42 THE ROYAL FLORA DANICA SERVICE - PROPERTY BY DESCENT OF THE DANISH ROYAL FAMILY

A ROYAL COPENHAGEN PORCELAIN 'FLORA DANICA' PATTERN PART TABLE-SERVICE

19TH AND 20TH CENTURY, BLUE WAVE MARKS AND SOME PIECES WITH GREEN PAINTED NUMERALS

Closed7 July 2022

Price Realised

GBP 100,800

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A ROYAL COPENHAGEN PORCELAIN 'FLORA DANICA' PATTERN PART TABLE-SERVICE
19TH AND 20TH CENTURY, BLUE WAVE MARKS AND SOME PIECES WITH GREEN PAINTED NUMERALS
Each piece painted with a botanical specimen, titled in black script to the reverse and enriched with gilding, comprising:
Two circular vegetable-tureens and covers
Four sauce-boats and four stands
Four leaf-shaped dishes
Two pierced two-handled baskets
Two smaller pierced two-handled baskets
A large oval serving-platter
A smaller oval serving-platter
Three large pierced circular serving-dishes
Four smaller circular serving-dishes
Four circular salad-bowls (shape 3505)
Two medium circular salad-bowls (shape 5404)
Two smaller circular salad-bowls
One triangular shaped dish (shape 575)
Three smaller triangular shaped dishes (shape 3508 to two)
A shaped rectangular tray
Two pickle-dishes (shape 3540)
Another smaller pickle-dish
Four oval bowls
Four oval dishes
One large pierced dinner-plate
Twenty-four soup-plates (shape 2545 to five)
Seventeen dinner-plates with serrated rims
Forty-eight pierced luncheon-plates with serrated rims (shape 3554 to six)
Fourteen luncheon-plates with serrated rims (shape 3550 to one)
Together with:
Eight Royal Copenhagen porcelain pierced luncheon-plates painted with fruit
Two Paris (Darte Freres) porcelain comports on figural biscuit stands with gilt crowned monogram to bases
9 1⁄4 in. (23.5 cm.) diameter, the vegetable-tureens

Acquired directly from the Royal Copenhagen factory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by a member of the Danish Royal Family, and thence by descent to the present owner.

Specialist note


The Royal Porcelain Factory in Copenhagen was established in 1775 by the chemist, Frantz Heinrich Müller, under the patronage of Queen Juliane Marie, widow of King Frederik V of Denmark.

The ‘Flora Danica’ service is perhaps the most famous amongst the factory’s production. The original service was intended for Catherine the Great of Russia (1729-1796), though she died during the production of the 1,802 pieces. The completed service was eventually delivered to the Danish Royal family, twelve years later. Every piece was decorated by Johann Christoph Bayer with a botanical specimen based on copper plates from the encyclopaedia ‘Flora Danica’, which was supposed to record every plant in Denmark. This extraordinary task resulted in Bayer losing his sight, such was the skill and detail required. Today the surviving service is exhibited at Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Castle, and Amalienborg Palace in Denmark.

The ‘Flora Danica’ pattern was taken up again in 1863 for a service made to celebrate the marriage of Princess Alexandra of Denmark to the future King Edward VII of England and it was so much admired that it is still in production today. Most of the pieces included in the present service date to the late 19th century revival period, with some dating to the 20th century, all acquired directly from the factory by a member of the Danish Royal Family.