A Meissen Plate from the service presented to King Frederik V of Denmark, circa 1746-50

painted in the manner of Christian Friedrich Herold, the centre with two figures on horseback before ruins, buildings and mountains in the distance, within a quatrefoil cartouche with gilt diaper panels and edged with iron-red and puce foliate scrolls, the well painted with four sprays of indianische Blumen between four cartouches painted with figures in a landscape or by a quayside, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue, impressed Dreher's mark + for Johann Christoph Pietzsch,

Given in 1751 by Augustus III of Saxony and Poland to King Frederik V of Denmark;
Christiansborg Palace Court Pantry;
The Dr. Albert Weitnauer Collection, Bern, sold Christie's Geneva, 11th November 1985, lot 364

Ulrich Pietsch, Preziosen, einer süddeutschen Kunstsammlung, 2001, p. 49

Comparative Literature

Dieter Hoffmeister, Meissner Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts - Katalog der Sammlung Hoffmeister, 1999, vol. I, pp. 172-173, no. 88;
Jørgan Hein and Mogens Bencard, Denmark and Saxony, Family Ties and Meissen Porcelain, Fragile Diplomacy, Meissen Porcelain for European Courts ca. 1710-63, 2007, pp. 175-194

Some scuffing to the glaze and patches of wear to the enamelled flowers and to the edge of one cartouche around the well.Some light surface scratches to the glaze in the centre.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

For a detailed discussion of this service see Hein and Bencard, op. cit., pp. 185-188. From the surviving correspondence between Ulrich von Spenner, the Saxon Ambassador to Denmark from 1744-56, and the Saxon-Polish court, as early as 1744 Spenner describes the high quality of the porcelain produced at Meissen. From the Meissen work records it appears that production orders began for the Danish court around the same time.

When Frederik V became King in 1746, diplomatic gifts were exchanged between the two Kingdoms, however the service would not be delivered to Copenhagen until 1751. The King's reaction to seeing the porcelain is recorded in a letter from Spenner to Count Brühl, 'Hardly had the king seen me before he came to tell me, that yesterday he had seen the magnificent and beautiful porcelain, that my king had sent him. He asked me to relay his satisfaction and to what extent this present had given him pleasure'.

The oldest surviving inventory of the service is the 1781 listing of the Royal Pantry at Christiansborg Palace. Many pieces from the service remain in the Danish Royal Collections at Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen.