18th-19th Century Porcelain Soup Signed Meissen
View Similar Items
18th-19th Century Porcelain Soup Signed Meissen
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 14.18 in (36 cm)Width: 16.54 in (42 cm)Depth: 9.06 in (23 cm)
- Style:Neoclassical (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1790
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Napoli, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7057231482002
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.
- Pair of 19th Century Marble BustsLocated in Napoli, ITThese rare pair of neoclassical busts depicting Roman emperors are monumental and decorative thanks to their size and sculpted details. Great for any living space for an added touch ...Category
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Statues
MaterialsMarble
$99,655 / set - 18th Century Important and Rare Louis XVI Genoese TrumeauBy Giovanni Battista PiranesiLocated in Napoli, ITImportant and rare Louis XVI Genoese trumeau in tissue paper and rosewood embellished with refined antique inlays (G.B. Piranesi), original silvered glass, nozzles and handles in gil...Category
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- 18th Century Naples Consoles in gilded and lacquered woodLocated in Napoli, ITNeapolitan console, Louis XVI with portoro marble. Dimensions: 100 x 155 x 70 cm.Category
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMarble
- Early 19th century alabaster sculpture depicting Farnese HerculesLocated in Napoli, ITEarly 19th century alabaster sculpture from the grand tour period depicting Farnese Hercules with base in verde Alpi marbleCategory
Antique Early 19th Century Grand Tour Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsAlabaster
- Early 19th century Bust of Roman emperor Julius Caesar in AlabasterLocated in Napoli, ITEarly 19th century bust of Roman emperor Julius Caesar in Alabaster, with base column in Brocatello marble.Category
Antique Early 19th Century Busts
MaterialsAlabaster
- Pair of French Empire period amphoraeLocated in Napoli, ITPair of Empire period amphorae in gilded porcelain painted in polychrome neoclassical scenes, France. Signed, Gauchin, f.Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
$16,609 / set
- Pair of Antique 18th / 19th Century Meissen Porcelain Cachepots or Flower PotsBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of antique Meissen cachepots. With baluster form bodies, shell handles, raised shell & cattail decoration to the sides, and handpainted fl...Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Baroque Planters, Cachepots and Jardin...
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Pot-Pourri Vase, Germany, 19th CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresMeissen porcelain pot-pourri vase, Germany, 19th century.Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of 19th C Cobalt Blue Meissen Serpent Porcelain VasesBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Chapel Hill, NCPair of 19th C Cobalt Blue Meissen Serpent Vases in the Neo-Classical style. Boldly colored cobalt urns with white intertwined double scrolled serpent handles. Urns sits atop round gilt accented bases. Exceptional quality with Meissen crossed sword...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Neoclassical Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century Meissen Porcelain 'Elements' Ewer Emblematic of WaterBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA 19th century Meissen porcelain 'Elements' ewer emblematic of water. Blue crossed swords mark. The present ewer, representing water,...Category
Antique 1870s German Rococo Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- A 19th Century Meissen Porcelain 'Elements' Ewer Emblematic of AirBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA 19th century Meissen porcelain 'Elements' ewer emblematic of air. Blue crossed swords mark. The present ewer, representing water, i...Category
Antique 1880s German Rococo Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- Large 19th Century German Gilt-Trimmed Meissen Porcelain VaseBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NY19th century German large blue and white Meissen porcelain vase with gilt trim and scroll handles.Category
Antique 19th Century German Napoleon III Porcelain
MaterialsGold