FRIEDRICH II Bust, Large

In 1851, the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin produced a 45-centimeter-tall portrait bust of King Friedrich II in porcelain as a component of an equestrian statue based on a design by Christian Daniel Rauch . On May 31, 1851, the nearly 14-meter-tall bronze monument to “ Friedrich II on Horseback,” which the sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch had created over the course of 10 years, was ceremoniously unveiled on the Unter den Linden boulevard. Exactly at the historic spot where Electress Dorothea is said to have planted the first linden tree—and where the triumphal arch stood upon the young “ Königin Luise ’s” entry into Berlin— Friedrich ’s equestrian statue was erected 65 years after the death of “ the Great.” It was commissioned by the Prussian King “ Friedrich ” Wilhelm IV and represented the pinnacle of Rauch’s artistic career. In addition to the honor bestowed by the king, Rauch was also awarded diplomas and an honorary doctorate from the universities of Berlin and Halle , and a celebration was held in his honor with 230 invited guests. The porcelain bust of FRIEDRICH II is still crafted by hand today at the historic manufactory site in Berlin’s Tiergarten . Friedrich , the Great, was significant to the Berlin Porcelain Manufactory not only as a Prussian king and military commander, but also as its owner and founder following his acquisition of the manufactory in 1763. Until his death in 1786, he guided the company’s fortunes with great personal dedication. He personally commissioned 21 richly decorated dinner services to furnish his palaces. The porcelain also served as an important tool of his politics and diplomacy when given as a state gift. He bestowed the title “royal” upon the porcelain manufactory and gave it the scepter from the coat of arms of the Electorate of Brandenburg as its trademark, which is still used today.