A table-service fit for a king
Bonhams to sell a private collection of Meissen porcelain on the 23 of May
August III of Poland inaugurated in 1734 what would later be known as one of the most pittifull and unstable reighns in the country. The Polish king preffered hunting, the arts and music than pressing affairs of state of greater importance. However his frivolity allowed for artisans and artists to work. His attention to presentation, detail and beauty made him favor the arts and luxury above any political duty. That is how the Austrian factory received the commission to produce what is still recognized as the greatest Meissen dining services of all time.
The service commissioned by the monarch to conmemorate his coronation after a painfull war of sucesession, continues to be a priority for many collectors which jump at any opportunity to acquire any piece from such a distinguished china set. Lot 39, a porcelain plate with the code of arms of Saxony and Poland with little flowers and a golden layer is expected to fetch in between 10.000 and 15.000 pounds. The service is believed to be the first conmeorative commission received by Meissen. It had a purely decorative function and was to be displayed on top of a cabinet, since the royal tables at the time only accepted silver.
Another Meissen lot from the same period which will probably raise eyebrows is the yellow plate by Gelbe Jagdservice (a Huntting china set) with a lobud in the centre featuring a Phenix and three basquet of flowers. It is part of the only colored Meissen set and has an estimate of 10.000-15.000 pounds.
Sebastian Kuhn, head of the Ceramics department at Bonhams, highlighted the importance of the sale: "These are not plates for everyday, not even scambled eggs on Mother's day. They are almost beyond value and price, it is something to captivate and delight lovers of European history". Alfonso Carbajo Agrasar