Large bust of Frederick II

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 of Friedrich II on horseback—which the sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch had spent 10 years creating—was ceremoniously unveiled on the Unter den Linden boulevard. Exactly at the historic site where Electress Dorothea is said to have planted the first linden tree—and where the triumphal arch stood during the young Queen Luise’s entry into Berlin— Friedrich , the Great’s equestrian statue was erected 65 years after his death. It was commissioned by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and represented the pinnacle of Rauch’s artistic oeuvre. In addition to the honor bestowed by the king, Rauch was also awarded diplomas and honorary doctorates 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. For the Berlin Porcelain Manufactory, “ Friedrich ” the Great was significant not only as the Prussian king and military commander but also, following his acquisition of the manufactory in 1763, as its owner and founder. Until his death in 1786, he guided the company’s fortunes with great personal dedication. For instance, 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.