Model by Johann Joachim Kaendler with the help of Johann Friedrich Eberlein; Meissen ca. 1741 / cross swords mark (half covered by the mount). Provenance: Lower Saxony private collection (Christie's 28.6.1976 No. 112)
The ‘Wärmeglocke’ is part of a representative dinner service that King August III of Poland and Elector of Saxony had given to the Venetian envoy to the French court in 1741. It was commissioned by his son, Crown Prince Frederick Christian, in connection to his Grand Tour to Italy in 1738-40 and the hospitable reception he received at the time in the house of Prince Campo Florido (at the time Spanish ambassador) at his residence in Venice.
Maureen Cassidy-Geiger, together with Sebastian Kuhn and Don Victor have cleared up the widespread misconception about the origin of the coat of arms (Fragile Diplomacy p. 228 u. Fn. 143). Until then, the coat of arms was attributed to the Neapolitan family Mauro d'Aversa.
The service, and in particular the warming bells, attracted the attention of the porcelain lover and connoisseur, the Duc de Luynes, at a dinner given by Campo Florido as ambassador in Paris (since 1740) in honour of the Queen of the Two Sicilies in 1745. In vol. 5 of his memoirs published in 1861 (p. 126 f.) he records his observations on the occasion of the dinner of 18 August 1745 (Fragile Diplomacy p. 229 fn. 145): ‘We noted a very beautiful porcelain service which was used at both tables; it displayed the coat of arms of the ambassador; it seemed quite substantial; there are even covers to go over the plates. The Royal Prince of Poland, on his way to see his sister in Naples, passed through Venice, and was well-received by Mr. de Campoflorido. He (the Prince of Poland) gave him (Mr. de Campoflorido) a gift and has added to it since then. M. The Ambassador, desiring a few more pieces, had sent money to Dresden. The King of Poland, however, after finding out that it was for him, commanded that his money be sent back to him and that he be sent the porcelain he desired.’
The order for the service was probably issued as early as 1740, and the main part was made in 1741, after the prince's coat of arms, improved with the cross of the Order of St Januarius, was finally received in Meissen following an intervention by Count Brühl (Fragile Diplomacy ibid. fn. 147 and p. 229). There is an isolated work report by Kaendler from June 1741 from this period, although it refers to a different mould: ‘Nr. 5 Eine große Forme zu denen Einsetz Schalen oval gemuschelt Vor den Printzen von Campo Floriedo gefertigt.’
The model of the warming bells was probably created with the help of Johann F. Eberlein, who created the five different bell sizes belonging to the Swan Service between Nov. 1740 and Feb. 1741 (Reinheckel 1989 p. 203 and fn. 114) - i.e. at about the same time as the Campo Florido Service was created. The same will apply to the Northumberland service (1740-45). Clarke reported on this in Keramos 70/1975 (pp. 25 ff.) and generally emphasised the rarity of preserved warmer bells and presented four bells from the British service (figs. 35, 85, 88, 89).
Comparative pieces: ‘Wärmeglocken’ from the Campo Florido service (all with the same mounting): - Hoffmeister Nr. 373 = Fragile Diplomacy fig.10-41 S. 228 = Sotheby’s 15.3.1983 Nr. 69 = Sotheby’s 14.6.1988 Nr. 134 - Christie’s 28.6.1976 Nr. 112, zwei Stück - Eine ovale Bratenschüssel aus dem Service, Keramos 70/1975 S. 26 Abb 31 = Sotheby’s 10.7.1973 Nr. 56.
Further parts of the Campo Florido are relatively rare: - Milk jug, Slg. Wolf Nr. 102 = Sotheby’s 5.2.1974 Nr. 136 - Tea caddy, Slg. Jörg Nelte Christie’s 12.10.1995 Nr. 55 - Two beaker, Christie’s 5.10.1981 Nr. 116 = Christie’s 5.12.1994 Nr. 226.
