Möllendorf service thumbnail 1
Möllendorf service thumbnail 2
+3
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Europe 1600-1815, Room 3

Möllendorf service

Salt Cellar
ca. 1761 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This piece is from a dinner service made at the Meissen porcelain factory in Saxony, Germany, for Frederick the Great of Prussia around 1761. Frederick the Great had visited Meissen several times, placed orders with the factory, received gifts of Meissen porcelain from Augustus III, the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and had plans to establish his own rival factory at Berlin before his Prussian forces occupied Saxony for the second time in 1756. Frederick ordered several table services from Meissen during the Prussian occupation of Saxony in the early 1760s. These were intended for his personal use, and he directed and oversaw their design. Artistically this service of 1761, now known as the Möllendorf Service, is the most important.

Many of the tableware shapes and the low relief moulded decoration of the Möllendorf Service were repeated from an earlier service of 1760, which was decorated at Frederick’s order with the same floral cartouches enclosing musical instruments and emblems of war. The handles on the tureen covers of both services were modelled either as Minerva, symbolizing the intelligent conduct of war and wise governance in peacetime, or as nymphs with flowers, fruit, corn or pitchers of wine. This earlier service was in turn inspired by another one, made for Count Bruhl, Prime Minister of Saxony, in 1742. Frederick stipulated in 1761 that his new service should be painted in the combination of the special red enamel and gold reserved at Meissen ‘for the Saxon ruler.’ The design and decoration were therefore in part taken from Saxon court services made for his subdued adversaries, and were politically charged.

The service was begun in 1761, and originally comprised 697 pieces, including 144 dinner plates, 48 soup plates and twelve shell-shaped salts on low scroll feet. It is thought that the dessert plates and possibly also the plat de ménage were added in 1763. The plat de ménage was a multi-part centrepiece with a lemon basket (C.248-1921) supported by figures including drunken Silenus on a donkey, and sculptural cruets and salts modelled with satyrs and fauns, all intended as part of a fixed central display. The two other lower baskets (C.249, C.250-1921) were the central elements of secondary plats de ménage which included other components without figural decoration. These would have been set out symmetrically further along the table to either side of the main plat de ménage.

In 1781 Frederick gave the service to General Wichard von Möllendorf, and as a consequence it is now generally known as the Möllendorf Service.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMöllendorf service (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain with moulded and applied decoration, painted in enamels and gilt
Brief description
Salt cellar from a plat de ménage (centrepiece), part of a dinner service (the Möllendorf service), hard-paste porcelain with moulded and applied decoration, painted in enamels and gilt, made by the Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1761
Physical description
Salt cellar from a plat de ménage (centrepiece), of hard-paste porcelain, part of a dinner service. Kneeling on a grassy mound, amidst a small clump of rushes, her body entwined with a vine branch. Her laughing face turned upwards and her hands outstretched, bearing on her forehead a large shell, decorated with a gilt line border and painted inside with a spray of flowers in deep orange-red, touched with gold.
Dimensions
  • Height: 140mm
  • Width: 80mm
Approximate, measured by Conservation.
Marks and inscriptions
Crossed swords (Factory mark, in underglaze blue)
Gallery label
Meissen Service for Frederick the Great This dinner service originally comprised over 685 pieces, each with matching decoration as in a modern table service. The set illustrates how dining habits changed in the 18th century. It is made of porcelain, which increasingly replaced silver at grand meals. It features tureens for the new, fashionable soups French chefs had introduced, and grand centrepieces made for condiments. These would have dominated the table. Part dinner service Standing salts About 1761–63 These two sculptural salts were part of one of the grand centrepieces. The service also came with 12 shell-shaped salts, which would have been distributed among diners. By the mid 18th century, salt was freely added to almost all savoury dishes. Germany (Dresden) Made at the Meissen factory Made for and under the direction of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and modelled by Johann Joachim Kändler Porcelain painted in enamels and gilded Purchased with funds from the Captain H.B. Murray Bequest(09/12/2015)
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Captain H. B. Murray Bequest
Object history
Part of a dinner service (Möllendorf service), C.238 to 256-1921.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
This piece is from a dinner service made at the Meissen porcelain factory in Saxony, Germany, for Frederick the Great of Prussia around 1761. Frederick the Great had visited Meissen several times, placed orders with the factory, received gifts of Meissen porcelain from Augustus III, the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and had plans to establish his own rival factory at Berlin before his Prussian forces occupied Saxony for the second time in 1756. Frederick ordered several table services from Meissen during the Prussian occupation of Saxony in the early 1760s. These were intended for his personal use, and he directed and oversaw their design. Artistically this service of 1761, now known as the Möllendorf Service, is the most important.

Many of the tableware shapes and the low relief moulded decoration of the Möllendorf Service were repeated from an earlier service of 1760, which was decorated at Frederick’s order with the same floral cartouches enclosing musical instruments and emblems of war. The handles on the tureen covers of both services were modelled either as Minerva, symbolizing the intelligent conduct of war and wise governance in peacetime, or as nymphs with flowers, fruit, corn or pitchers of wine. This earlier service was in turn inspired by another one, made for Count Bruhl, Prime Minister of Saxony, in 1742. Frederick stipulated in 1761 that his new service should be painted in the combination of the special red enamel and gold reserved at Meissen ‘for the Saxon ruler.’ The design and decoration were therefore in part taken from Saxon court services made for his subdued adversaries, and were politically charged.

The service was begun in 1761, and originally comprised 697 pieces, including 144 dinner plates, 48 soup plates and twelve shell-shaped salts on low scroll feet. It is thought that the dessert plates and possibly also the plat de ménage were added in 1763. The plat de ménage was a multi-part centrepiece with a lemon basket (C.248-1921) supported by figures including drunken Silenus on a donkey, and sculptural cruets and salts modelled with satyrs and fauns, all intended as part of a fixed central display. The two other lower baskets (C.249, C.250-1921) were the central elements of secondary plats de ménage which included other components without figural decoration. These would have been set out symmetrically further along the table to either side of the main plat de ménage.

In 1781 Frederick gave the service to General Wichard von Möllendorf, and as a consequence it is now generally known as the Möllendorf Service.
Bibliographic reference
Pietsch, Ulrich and Banz, Claudia (eds). Triumph of the Blue Swords, Meissen Porcelain for Aristocracy and Bourgeoisie 1710-1815, published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, 2010, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, pp. 293-294.
Collection
Accession number
C.252-1921

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdOctober 26, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest