Auricula, buttercups, carnations, anemones, forget-me-nots and pansies adorn the 17-piece table service, which now shows visitors to the Marble Palace in the New Garden what Friedrich Wilhelm II (1744-1797) looked like at the table. At that time it was served in the Berlin Palace, where it was very popular.
The employees of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (SPSG) have laid a starter table for eight people in the grotto hall, the dining room of the early classicist summer palace of the king. This includes plates, salt bowls, a soup tureen, serving plates and knife rests.
The service is a new acquisition of the foundation from last year. She was able to buy it from the private property of a family that had owned it since the 19th century. The foundation does not comment on the purchase price. However, one can assume that a plate alone is worth around 1000 euros.
The service was made by the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM) in 1795 for the king. Scientific investigations have shown that the king acquired the first parts in October of that year.
It is also interesting why a new table service was needed at court. During the negotiations for the Basel Peace Treaty between France and Prussia in the spring of 1795, the negotiators exchanged porcelain. This created a gap in the inventory at court. It had to be filled again.
In the style of “Fleurs en terrasse”
The new service is painted in the style of “Fleurs en terrasse”. In contrast to what was usual in Rococo, the flowers seem to grow straight out of the meadow and are not tied into lush artificial bouquets. The flower painting of the KPM had changed to the simple elegance of classicism. And something else is unusual. The mirror – i.e. the flat inner part of the plate – is simply white and not painted. According to Rahul Kulka, scientific trainee at the SPSG, this was a revolution.
The table is completed with contemporary cutlery, some of which belonged to Queen Elisabeth Christine of Braunschweig-Bevern (1715–1797), the wife of Frederick the Great. The goblets and carafes are also contemporary and some bear the royal monogram.
There are only two originals of the Egyptian-style knife rests on the table. However, with the support of KPM, plaster replicas could be made for the other six. The table is also decorated with silhouette-like “cut-outs”, the unusual outlines of which are intended to represent various appetizer dishes.
Potted plants as a tribute to the new acquisition
In addition to the table, the foundation is presenting individual items from other services in a showcase in front of the hall. This includes a plate from the service that was given to the French envoy François Barthélemy (1747–1830) during the peace negotiations in 1795. The SPSG was also able to acquire this plate last year.
As a small homage to the new acquisition, the gardeners of the foundation planted tubs and set them up at three locations in the New Garden together with information bases. At the Marble Palace, at the Orangery and in front of Cecilienhof Palace, you can admire the tubs with balloon flowers, morning glories, decorative baskets, marigolds and larkspur.
The exhibition can be seen until October 15 and can be visited during the opening times, Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., as part of the usual guided tours.
