Meissen Parrot, late 19th Century
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 6.7 in (17 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1890
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brighton, GB
- Reference Number:
Meissen Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen) is one of the preeminent porcelain factories in Europe and was the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. It was established in 1710 under the auspices of King Augustus II “the Strong” of Saxony-Poland (1670–1733), a keen collector of Asian ceramics, particularly Ming porcelain.
In pursuing his passion, which he termed his “maladie de porcelaine,” Augustus spent vast sums, amassing some 20,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese ceramics. These, along with examples of early Meissen, comprise the Porzellansammlung, or porcelain collection, of the Zwinger Palace, in Dresden.
The king was determined, however, to free the European market from its dependence on Asian imports and to give European artisans the freedom to create their own porcelain designs. To this end, he charged the scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and aspiring alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger with the task of using local materials to produce true, hard-paste porcelain (as opposed to the soft-paste variety European ceramists in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain had been producing since the late Renaissance). In 1709, the pair succeeded in doing just that, employing kaolin, or “china clay.” A year later, the Meissen factory was born.
In its first decades, Meissen mostly looked to Asian models, producing wares based on Japanese Kakiemon ceramics and pieces with Chinese-inflected decorations called chinoiserie. During the 1720s its painters drew inspiration from the works of Watteau, and the scenes of courtly life, fruits and flowers that adorned fashionable textiles and wallpaper. It was in this period that Meissen introduced its famous cobalt-blue crossed swords logo — derived from the arms of the Elector of Saxony as Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire — to distinguish its products from those of competing factories that were beginning to spring up around Europe.
By the 1730s, Meissen’s modelers and decorators had mastered the style of Asian ceramics, and Augustus encouraged them to develop a new, original aesthetic. The factory’s director, Count Heinrich von Brühl, used Johann Wilhelm Weinmann’s botanical drawings as the basis for a new line of wares with European-style surface decoration. The Blue Onion pattern (Zwiebelmuster), first produced in 1739, melded Asian and European influences, closely following patterns used in Chinese underglaze-blue porcelain, but replacing exotic flora and fruits with Western varieties (likely peaches and pomegranates, not onions) along with peonies and asters.
During the same period, head modeler Joachim Kändler (1706–75) began crafting delicate porcelain figures derived from the Italian commedia dell’arte. Often used as centerpieces on banquet tables and decorated to reflect the latest fashions in courtly dress for men and women, these figurines were popular in their day, and are still considered among Meissen’s most iconic creations. Kändler also created the Swan Service, which, with its complex low-relief surface design and minimal decoration is considered a masterpiece of Baroque ceramics.
The rise of Neoclassicism in the latter half of the 18th century forced Meissen to change artistic direction and begin producing monumental vases, clocks, chandeliers and candelabra. In the 20th century, Meissen added to its 18th-century repertoire decidedly modern designs, including ones in the Art Nouveau style. The 1920s saw the introduction of numerous animal figures, such as the popular sea otter (Fischotter), which graced an East German postage stamp in the 1960s. Starting in 1933, artistic freedom was limited at the factory under the Nazi regime, and after World War II, when the region became part of East Germany, it struggled to reconcile its elite past with the values of the Communist government. In 1969, however, new artistic director Karl Petermann reintroduced the early designs and fostered a new degree of artistic license. Meissen became one of the few companies to prosper in East Germany.
Owned by the State of Saxony since reunification, in 1990, Meissen continues to produce its classic designs together with new ones developed collaboratively with artists from all over the world. In addition, through its artCAMPUS program, the factory has invited distinguished ceramic artists, such as Chris Antemann and Arlene Shechet, to work in its studios in collaboration with its skilled modelers and painters. The resulting works of contemporary sculpture are inspired by Meissen’s rich and complex legacy.
Find a collection of authentic Meissen Porcelain on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brighton, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Pair Meissen parrots, late 19th centuryBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexSmall pair of enchanting late 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrots, each with wonderful bold colouring and signed with the blue crossed swords to the base. Batch 76 G9490/21 CEKZCategory
Antique Late 19th Century German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair late 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrots.By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexA striking, fine quality pair of late 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrots pirched on tree trunks, each having wonderful bold colouring and detail. Batch 76 62436 DHKZCategory
Antique 1890s German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair 19th Century Meissen Parrots.By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexAn enchanting pair of fine quality late 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrots, perched on tree trunks feasting. Blue crossed swords signed to the base. Batch 62747 DHKZCategory
Antique 19th Century Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Parrot, late 19th century.By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexAn enchanting late 19th century Meissen porcelain figure of a Parrot perched on a tree stump, having wonderful bolding colouring and having blue crossed swords signature to the base....Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Parrot perched on a tree trunk, 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexA fine quality late 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrot perched on a tree trunk, having wonderful bold colouring. Signed to the base with blue crossed swords. Batch 77 62748 DNKZZCategory
Antique 19th Century German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Rare pair of 19th Century, ormolu mounted Meissen Parrots. 49cmBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexAn rare and important pair of 19th Century Meissen porcelain Parrots, each with wonderful bold colouring and detail, perched on tree stumps, one with cherries in its claw, mounted on...Category
Antique 19th Century German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique German Meissen Continental Porcelain Parrot Bird Green Gilt 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Dublin, IrelandVery Stylish German Meissen Glazed Porcelain Parrot of exceptional quality, last quarter of the Nineteenth Century. Naturalistically modelled and perched on a tree stump above a roc...Category
Antique 19th Century German Late Victorian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsCeramic, Porcelain, Pottery
- Large Meissen Porcelain Group of Gardeners, Late 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBTaken from a model of 1772 by M.C. Avier and J.C. Schönheit, this charming porcelain group by the Meissen manufactory depicts a group of five figures around a central rock mound, inv...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique Pair of German Meissen Continental Parrots Birds Green Gilt 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Dublin, IrelandVery Stylish Pair of German Meissen Glazed Porcelain Parrots of exceptional quality, last quarter of the Nineteenth Century. Each naturalistically modelled and perched on tree stum...Category
Antique 19th Century German Late Victorian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsCeramic, Porcelain, Pottery
- Meissen Parrot on a Tree Sculpture, Germany, 19th CenturyLocated in London, GB19th century Meissen Parrot on a tree sculpture, expertly crafted with realistic details. This multi-colored masterpiece features the parrot perched on a tree adorned with vibrant fl...Category
Antique 19th Century German Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen 19th Century Porcelain Figure "Gentleman"By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABAMeissen 19th Century Porcelain Figure "Gentleman" Beautiful porcelain figure representing a man of the time, in white and blue with gold details with a bo...Category
Antique 19th Century German Napoleon III Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain figurine musicians by Meissen, 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Lisbon, PTA Saxony art piece, large polychrome porcelain of a figurine of a male violinist and a women`s percussionist musicians decorated in the pierrot. A dreamlike motif of youth playing mu...Category
Antique 19th Century German Baroque Revival Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain