Armorial plate from the Swan service, one of a pair

This plate comes from the most famous service manufactured by Meissen during the eighteenth century. Known as the Swan Service, more than 2, 200 pieces were created to serve dinner, coffee, tea, and chocolate. The decorative theme is water, as seen in this plate's swans and bulrushes, modeled in low relief. Each piece carried the arms of Brühl and his wife Maria Anna Fransizka von Kolwrat-Krakowska, who were married in 1734. Count von Brühl served as director of the Meissen factory, and hence, had the access and means to order several services in different patterns from the workshops.