An important Berlin part table service given by Frederick the Great to the Duke of York circa 1786

of Arabesque form, each piece painted in sepia with an oval medallion of a classical figure enclosed by a band of foliate scrollwork, the rims moulded with a border of arabesques detailed in grey, reserved against a blue band, gilt-edged rims and handles, the large tureen covers with gilt triton finials, comprising:
two double-handled oval tureens, covers and stands
a two-handled ice bucket
an oval small tureen, cover and stand
two leaf-shaped dishes
three shell-shaped dishes
two circular deep dishes
a canted square dish
a circular dish
nine pierced dessert plates
twelve dinner plates
two later German oval tureens and covers on fixed stands with painted friezes

Potsdam, Neues Palais in Sanssouci, Von Sanssouci nach Europa: Geschenke Friedrich des Großen an europäische Höfe, 10th August to 16th October 1994, no.22

Von Sanssouci nach Europa: Geschenke Friedrichs des Großen an europäische Höfe, exhibition catalogue, Stiftung Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci, no.22, pp.143-146 

Frederick Duke of York (1763-1827) was the second son of King George III and younger brother of George IV. He was elected Prince Bishop of Osnabrück at the age of only 6 months, even though his father had a military career planned for him. Between 1780 and 1787 the young Duke resided on the continent, mostly in Hannover at the court of his uncle, Karl Wilhelm Duke of Braunschweig. Frederick was also an ardent admirer of the Prussian King, Frederick the Great, whose court he visited several times. That this respect was reciprocated is shown not only by the gift of the present service,  but also the fact that the Duke of York was one of the select group of guests invited to Frederick's final banquet.

The service is mentioned in the old model book of the Berlin manufactory dating from the lifetime of Frederick the Great as a table service "Arabesque", with the note stating that it was commissioned for the Duke of York. A design for a plate with three different border patterns is also preserved in the KPM archives (illustrated in Von Sanssouci nach Europa, p.143), of which only the first appears to ever have been produced in porcelain. Remarkably, the table service for the Duke of York appears to be the only occasion that this design was produced in porcelain, though the relief borders are known on a tea and coffee service model with both blue and green borders.

This remarkable and important service - one of the first essays of the Berlin manufactory in the neo-classical style - was accompanied by an extensive table centrepiece consisting of figures and groups of gods on circular pedestals and flower vases, now lost, but recorded in a list of 1787 in the State Archives in Osnabrück discovered by Dr. Manfred Mainz ('Der letzte Osnabrücker Fürstbischof Friedrich von York', in Keramos, 134/October 1991, p.39). Other pieces from the service are in the collection of the Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten, Schloß Charlottenburg, or appear very occasionally at auction: a group of ten pierced dessert plates and a small two-handled tureen and cover was sold by Sotheby's New York, 4th May 1985, lot 72; and more recently, a single dessert plate was sold by Christie's London, 1st May 2002, lot 112.