Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

A rare Berlin (KPM) armorial plate from the Prussian Service for the Duke of Wellington, c.1817-19, the well decorated with the arms of Wellington flanked by two lions, the cavetto gilded, the rim with tied swags of laurel and oak on a pale pink ground, blue sceptre mark and star mark, broken and previously riveted, 23cm.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Then John Dalrymple (1793-1881) and thence by descent. By reputed family tradition - this plate was broken at a Waterloo banquet and the pieces gifted to John Dalrymple by Wellington's butler, who was a personal friend.

The extensive Prussian service, still on display at Apsley House, was a gift to Wellington from King William III of Prussia. 100 of these so-called 'ordinary' dinner plates were produced and were the most numerous as they were changed for every course of the meal. An outline was transfer printed onto each plate to allow better precision for the porcelain painters. Comparison with other extant pieces at Apsley would suggest this plate was one of the earliest produced as both the factory mark and painter's mark correspond to others in the service.