John Sandon
Consultant
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Lot 5
A pair of Potsdam/Zechlin engraved and gilded presentation wine glasses for Field Marshall von Münnich, circa 1734-41
15 November 2017, 10:30 GMT
London, Knightsbridge£2,000 - £3,000
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A pair of Potsdam/Zechlin engraved and gilded presentation wine glasses for Field Marshall von Münnich, circa 1734-41
Of funnel shape, wheel engraved with the engraving filled-in in bright gold, the circular armorial shields with quarters of swans and busts of monks centred with the double-headed eagle, the arms encircled by the Order of St. Andrew and surmounted by a coronet, flanked by Prussian eagles as supporters standing on military trophies, on tapering stems and circular feet cut and gilded with scallops and flutes, 15.2cm and 15.6cm high (minor loss to gold rims, slight crizzling) (2)
Footnotes
The arms belong to the German noble family Von Münnich, together with the Russian Order of St Andrew. This identifies these glasses as having been made for Burchard Christoph Graf von Münnich, a German-born Field Marshall and statesman.
Generalfeldmarschall Burchard Christoph Reichsgraf von Münnich (1683-1767) entered the service of Augustus the Strong in 1716 and quickly became General Inspector of Polish troops and Commander of the Royal Guard. In 1721 he entered the service of Czar Peter the Great and under Peter II von Münnich became General of the Infantry. He was ennobled as a Russian Count (Graf) in 1728. Under Czarina Anna Ivanovna he was appointed Privy Councillor, Minister of War and in 1732, Field Marshall. He was awarded the Order of St. Andrew in 1734.
His fortunes turned and following the palace coup of 1741 von Münnich was exiled to Siberia by Czarina Elizabeth. There he remained for twenty years until he was rehabilitated by Peter III. He resumed high office and died in 1767 during the reign of Catherine the Great who commented at his death: 'Even if he wasn't a Son of Russia, he was one of its Fathers'.
An important Meissen porcelain service bearing the same arms as on these glasses was probably a gift to von Münnich from the Saxon Elector, Friedrich Augustus in gratitude for his role in the War of the Polish succession (1733-38), which resulted in Friedrich Augustus' election as King (Augustus III) of Poland. While it is possible that these glasses were commissioned by Augustus III from a Saxon (Dresden) glasshouse, they follow Potsdam (Berlin) traditions and are therefore more likely to have been a gift from Friedrich William of Prussia.