670 - MEISSEN

MEISSEN Title: An Extremely Rare Porcelain Windmill and Watermill. Date: Model ca. 1749/1750. Cast around that time. Designer: Model by Johann Joachim Kaendler and Johann Gottlieb Ehder (attributed). Material: Porcelain, decorated with colors. Dimensions: Height 16 cm. Mark: Swords mark painted blue underglaze on the base. Description: An irregular, naturalistically modeled base featuring embossed flowers and leaves. Centrally positioned is a windmill consisting of cylindrical masonry and a mill body with a cap. There are round openings in the gable roof, the cap, and the body. At the front is a leaning ladder with a pole. The mill is mentioned only twice in historical sources. The first mention is found in the correspondence between Charles-Philippe d’Albert, Duke of Luynes and Chevreuse, and the Danish envoy in Paris, Mr. von Bernstorff. It emerges from this correspondence that the Count commissioned four wax models from the Meissen manufactory (Kunze-Köllensperger 1996, p. 39 ff.). In contrast to the group featuring a shepherd, a dog, and sheep—which is described in detail—the architectural models are merely mentioned, without any further details being provided regarding their design. A second reference can be found in the inventory of Brühl’s confectionery dated October 1, 1753. In this inventory, the mill is listed under the heading “Buildings, houses, and the like” alongside 92 other items (Kunze-Köllensperger 2000, p. 235). The written records provide no further details regarding the model’s design. For the purposes of this investigation, therefore, a rough mold from the Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory is of particular interest; this is illustrated by Kunze-Köllensperger both in a general view (Kunze-Köllensperger 2015, p. 96) and with individual models (Kunze-Köllensperger 2000, p. 121). A comparison of the photographs leaves no doubt as to the object’s attribution. Similarities are evident not only in the overall design of the mill but also in specific details, such as the positioning of the round openings in the mill cap, the function of which remains unclear. The openings in the gable, on the other hand, were evidently used to attach the windmill sails, which were likely originally present on the specimen presented here but have been lost over time. Furthermore, the rough-cast structure lacks the ladder and the pole, which are preserved on the specimen on offer and, given their structural integration, clearly belong to the mill. The original function of the pole as an architectural element cannot yet be determined with certainty. It may have been a “mill tail,” used to turn the windmill sails into the wind. However, the striking similarity in design to the silver mill-shaped drinking cups that were widespread in the 17th century suggests that the combination of ladder and pole was modeled after this type of object. The windmill cups were not only artistic and curious display pieces but also served as a drinking game in which the moving sails and the blowpipe attached next to the ladder played a central role. Blowing into the pipe set the windmill sails in motion. The goal was to empty the cup while the blades were still turning. Various designs of the blowing tube are known, including examples in which it passes through the ladder. When this design motif was transferred to a porcelain model, the original function of the tube was lost, while the pole remained as a formal reference to the windmill cups. The detailing of the mill presented here is characteristic of the painting found on comparable objects from this period. The masonry of the mill’s base, outlined in iron red, the shading of the wooden sections, and the design of the door with details such as hinges and a keyhole show stylistic and craftsmanship similarities to the painting of the house with a rope winch (illustrated in Kunze-Köllensperger 2015, p. 60, cat. no. 19). A distinctive feature of the windmill presented here is the base, which is painted over its entire surface in rich shades of green and yellow, as can also be seen, for example, on a chalk hut (illustrated in Kunze-Köllensperger 2015, p. 58, cat. no. 18). It is well known that the buildings in the Dutch village created for Brühl’s confectionery shop did not have earthen plinths. Such plinths, however, were added to versions produced for the French market, in keeping with French tastes of the time. In this context, the detailed specifications regarding the plinth design in the commission for a shepherd’s group by Charles-Philippe d’Albert, Duke of Luynes, are particularly revealing: “A flat base 5 inches long, 7 inches wide, upon which a shepherd stands leaning against the trunk of a tree. He has his dog with him, which need not be lying down. A little to the left of the shepherd are six sheep: two are lying down, two are grazing, and the other two are looking around rather than eating. The background is meant to