Footnotes

The only other published examples of this exceptionally large and elaborate form of candelabra are those belonging to the dessert service given by Frederick the Great to Catherine II of Russia in 1772. The service was produced between 1770-72 and was presented to the Empress to mark the agreement of a political alliance with Prussia; see 'Von Sanssouci nach Europa, Geschenke Friedrichs der Großen an europäische Höfe', exhibition catalogue Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci, Neues Palais, 10 August to 16 October 1994, no. 19.1 (one illustrated, another of the set is illustrated by Georg Lenz, Berliner Porzellan, vol. II (1913), pl.88)

It is tempting to suppose that such a large and elaborate candelabra must invariably have been an important commission: either a gift from Frederick the Great as in the case of the dessert service for Catherine II, or intended for one of his own palaces. The relatively rare yellow ground raises the possibility that these candelabra were part of the so-called gelbes Tafelservice (yellow table service) which was ordered less than three months before the service for Catherine II. This service was ordered by Frederick the Great for the Potsdam Stadtschloss on 18 January 1770 and delivered on 3 August 1771. The service is described in the King's Privy Purse accounts as a Tafel-Service vom antiquen Dessein, für 20 Couverts, für das Potsdamer Stadtschloss...gemahlt mit natürliche Blumen und Guirlanden Gold, Laubkänntgen, umzogene Zierathen, nebst gelben Fond (a table service of antique design, for 20 covers for the Potsdam Stadtschloss...painted with naturalistic flowers and gold garlands, foliate edges, surrounding ornamentation), published by Lenz (op. cit. vol. I, p.15). The accounts unfortunately do not list the individual pieces of the service.

The second possibility presented by the Privy Purse accounts is an entry recording a gift of Frederick the Great to the Princess of Orange delivered on 29 June 1773: 2 Tafel Leuchter extra gross, mit bronze Armen zu 5 Lichtern, Geschenk des Königs an die Prinzess von Oranien (2 table candelabra, extra large, with bronze arms of five lights, gift of the King to the Princess of Orange); quoted by Lenz, (loc. cit., p. 22). Princess Wilhelmine of Orange (1751-1820) was the niece of Frederick the Great and one of his most frequent and favoured recipients of gifts of porcelain. He sent her a table service in October 1767 on the occasion of her wedding and a dessert service three years later. In 1773 the Princess visited the Berlin manufactory with her brother the Crown Prince of Prussia and was presented with numerous gifts; see 'Von Sansoucci nach Europa', p. 88. The accounts do not described the candelabra in any more detail, though this is the only entry which explicitly mentions candelabra with ormolu branches.