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Warmeglocke (from the "Möllendorff" service)

Meissen Porcelain Manufactoryc. 1761

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, United States

This wärmeglocke (warming bell) is part of a service that was ordered from the Meissen Porcelain Factory by Frederick the Great of Prussia during the Seven Years' War (1757–63). The molded design, comprising delicate flowers, armaments, and musical instruments, is attributed to the Prussian ruler himself. Frederick designed the service with Karl Jacob Christian Klipfel, a German who specialized in mosaic patterns (scalework).

The painted decoration on this service is rendered in iron red enamel, a signature color of the Meissen factory in the 18th century. Each piece in the elaborate service was handmade and hand-painted by the factory workers. The service is thought to have been a gift from Frederick to General Wichard Joachim Heinrich von Möllendorff, a field marshal in the Prussian army.

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  • Title: Warmeglocke (from the "Möllendorff" service)
  • Creator: Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
  • Creator Lifespan: Est. 1710
  • Creator Nationality: German
  • Date Created: c. 1761
  • Location: Meissen, Germany
  • Physical Dimensions: w34.9 x h19.1 x d34.9 cm (overall)
  • Type: Ceramic
  • External Link: MFAH
  • Medium: Hard-paste porcelain, brass
  • Designer: molded decoration attributed to Frederick the Great of Prussia and Karl Jacob Christian Klipfel
  • Credit Line: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Rienzi Collection, bequest of Caroline Wiess Law
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

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