TWO MEISSEN PORCELAIN LEAF-SHAPED DISHES FROM THE 'MÖLLEDNDORF' SERVICE

THE MöLLENDORF SERVICE WAS COMMISSIONED AS A GIFT FOR THE PRUSSIAN FIELD MARSHALL, GENERAL HEINRICH VON MöLLENDORFF IN 1761 BY FREDERICK THE GREAT DURING HIS OCCUPATION OF DRESDEN. AN ORIGINAL BILL, DATED 7 APRIL 1761, STILL SURVIVES AND RECORDS THE COST OF THE SERVICE AS 9,412 THALERS. A FURTHER ORDER WAS PLACED FOR DESSERT PLATES IN NOVEMBER 1762, AND IT IS NOT KNOWN EXACTLY HOW MANY PIECES WERE IN THE ORIGINAL SERVICE.

ALTHOUGH THE DESSERT-PLATES HAVE PIERCED PANELS MOLDED WITH FLOWERS, THE MAJORITY OF THE SERVICE WAS MOLDED WITH PANELS OF FLOWERS AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THS PREUSSISCH-MUSIKALISCHE DESSIN REPUTEDLY DESIGNED BY FREDERICK IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MEISSEN WORKER KARL JAKOB CHRISTIAN KLIPFEL (ALSO A TALENTED MUSICIAN).

FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE DINNER SERVICE AND SOME DESSERT WARES, INCLUDING LEAF-SHAPE DISHES SIMILAR TO THE PRESENT TWO, SEE CHRISTIE'S, NEW YORK, 26 OCTOBER 1994, LOTS 197-214, WHERE THE FOOTNOTE DISCUSSES THE SERVICE AT LENGTH. A LARGE GROUP OF PIECES FORMING THE DESSERT SERVICE AND THE PLATS DE MéNAGE APPEARED IN THE H.J. KING COLLECTION SALE, CHRISTIE'S, LONDON, 5 MAY 1914, WENT UNSOLD, WERE OFFERED AGAIN ON 17TH FEBRUARY 1917 AND BOUGHT BY THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM.