242. A magnificent blue-ground Berlin porcelain vase bearing the effigy of Frederick William III, King of Prussia, probably given to Anatoly Demidov, Prince of San Donato (1813-70) circa 1835 A magnificent Berlin blue-ground Royal portrait vase, circa 1835 Of "französische Form", after designs by Johann Heinrich Strack, one side finely painted with a rectangular breast portrait of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, after Franz Krüger, within a gilt frame against a blue ground reserved with a pattern of gilt stylised leaves within a trellis pattern, the neck reserved with a broad band of gilt foliate scrollwork panels with concave edges, the lower body with a band of stylised foliate lappets, the flared foot with a pattern of entwined burnished gilt lappets and a band of green foliage reserved around the footrim, on burnished gilt rectangular plinth, the handles and rim gilt, 67.5cm high; 34cm across handles, sceptre mark in underglaze-blue Provenance By repute a gift from King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia to Anatoly Demidov, Prince of San Donato (1813-70) in 1835 This amphora-shaped vase was introduced at Berlin 9n 1832 and went on to become one of the most popular vase forms of the 19th century. Known as the "französiche Vase", it was eventually produced in eleven sizes between 15cm and 137cm high and with variations to the handles (S. Wittwer, Raffinesse & Eleganz (2007), cat. no. 116).