A porcelain vase that Wilhelm II gave to his friend Philipp von Eulenburg has sold for 300,000 euros at an auction in Berlin. The piece is valuable not only for its craftsmanship but also for its connection to the Eulenburg Affair, a scandal from the early 20th century that exposed tensions in the Kaiser's court and his peculiar relationship with the press.
Porcelain as a witness to a power crisis 🏺
The vase dates from an era when porcelain technology reached maturity in Europe, with high-temperature firing techniques and precision enamels that allowed for detailed decorations. However, its historical value surpasses the technical: it represents the network of personal loyalties that sustained the German Empire. The piece, manufactured at the royal manufactory in Berlin, is an example of how luxury objects served as diplomatic tools in a political system based on personal relationships rather than institutions.
The Kaiser, the press, and a very expensive vase 📰
Wilhelm II, a fanatic for headlines, never imagined that his gift would end up making news a century later. The Eulenburg Affair, which mixed bedroom gossip with high politics, showed that in the German court, secrets were kept as poorly as a vase during a move. For 300,000 euros, the buyer takes home not only fine porcelain but also a piece of history that the Kaiser would have preferred to see broken.