Table and buffets with the service for Prince Heinrich of Prussia

When King Frederick William of Prussia gave his uncle, Prince Henry, a big dinner and dessert service in 1791, he encouraged the introduction of a new style. The simplicity of the borders of the items in this service, decorated with draperies in relief and bouquets of wild flowers, contrasts with the rococo style of the previous decades. Inspired by the famous Sèvres dinner service, presented to prince Gustav III by Louis XVI in 1784, the factory chose a green and gold border. This service was offered in gratitude to Prince Henry, who had just erected an impressive obelisk in the Rheinsberg gardens, in honour of his late brother, Augustus William, father of the new king.