Bord met alliantiewapen Oost-Friesland-Brandenburg 1730 - 1740

This faience plate, decorated around 1700 by Johann Georg Knöller, displays the combined coats of arms of East Frisia and Brandenburg. The design gives us some interesting insights into the aristocratic culture of the Holy Roman Empire. The union of two noble houses in one heraldic emblem signifies a political and dynastic alliance. Note the crown, which signals the status of the families depicted. The floral border suggests the importance of aesthetic display in signaling social status. East Frisia, now part of Germany, had a complex history of shifting allegiances and power struggles. Brandenburg, centered around Berlin, rose to become the Kingdom of Prussia and a major European power. This plate, therefore, speaks to the ambitions and strategies of powerful families in a fragmented and competitive political landscape. To understand such an object better, one could consult genealogical records, histories of the Holy Roman Empire, and museum collections specializing in heraldry and decorative arts. These resources would illuminate the social and institutional context that gave this plate its meaning.