Pair of Meissen Style Porcelain and Ebonised Wood Mirrored Wall Brackets
About the Item
- Creator:Dresden Porcelain (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.65 in (88 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 7.49 in (19 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Rococo (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 19th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
Dresden Porcelain
Dresden porcelain, as a term, is the subject of some confusion. In some contexts, it refers to the hard-paste ceramic wares produced by the workshops that sprang up in and around the Saxon capital in the 19th century. In others, it denotes only the output of one of these, Sächsische Porzellanmanufaktur Dresden, known in English as simply Dresden Porcelain, which was established in 1872 in the city of Freital, Saxony.
Complicating matters further, early publications about porcelain often used “Dresden” and “Meissen” interchangeably. It is true that the cities of Dresden and Meissen are connected through their long, shared history of decorative arts production and, in fact, most Meissen porcelain was sold in Dresden, the artistic and cultural center of Saxony.
However, Meissen is the site of the factory that produced the first European porcelain, at the turn of the 18th century, while Dresden did not come into prominence until the mid-19th century, during the high point of the Rococo revival. (Porcelain originated in China, which is why many collectors still seek out what they call "Dresden china.")
And while Meissen is known for manufacturing porcelain, from clay models through finished product, Dresden is celebrated for its decorating studios, of which there were several dozen in and around the city during the 19th century. Their skilled painters often used “blanks” from Meissen as their canvases. So a piece of Dresden porcelain may have been formed and fired at Meissen, painted in Dresden, and ultimately sold in one of that city’s shops.
The figurines, plates and vases produced during the 19th century via this complex process remain appealing to this day, their bright hues and pastoral imagery typical of the Rococo revival, which brought scrollwork, shells, foliage, flowers and fruit back into vogue after decades of restrained neoclassicism and austere Gothic Revival design. Dresden figurines, which like their Meissen counterparts were inspired by the characters of the Commedia dell'Arte, have a witty, cheerful quality that has been likened to that of scenes painted by Watteau and Fragonard.
Before its near-total destruction during World War II, Dresden was home to more than 200 painting studios.
The Dresden style, however, is associated with wares bearing the blue crown mark (Meissen’s mark is a pair of cobalt blue crossed swords), which was first registered in 1883 by Richard Klemm, Donath & Co, Oswald Lorenz, and Adolph Hamann. Prominent painters from this period include Helena Wolfsohn, Franziska Hirsch, Ambrosius Lamm — whose skill in the application of metallic or lustre paints is on lavish display in this dinner service from the 1920s — and Carl Thieme, a master in floral painting, as demonstrated by his decoration on this circa 1901 ram’s head urn.
Dresden painters also used a decorative technique known as “Dresden lace.” This involved dipping real lace into liquid porcelain and applying it to a figure, which was then fired in a kiln. The fabric would burn away, leaving a fragile, crinoline-like shell — the type of delicate and whimsical detail that characterizes Dresden porcelain, one of Europe’s great ceramic traditions.
Find authentic antique Dresden porcelain on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Antique Rococo Style Porcelain Mirror by MeissenBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBAntique Rococo style porcelain mirror by Meissen German, 19th century Measures: Height 94cm, width 66cm, depth 14cm...Category
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Mirrors
MaterialsPorcelain, Mirror
- Pair of English Gilt Bronze and Ebonised Wood MirrorsLocated in London, GBPair of English gilt bronze and ebonised wood mirrors English, c. 1860 Height 74cm, width 59cm, depth 7cm Magnificently crafted in around 1860 by English craftsmen, this pair of m...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Renaissance Wall Mirrors
MaterialsOrmolu
- Large Carved and Ebonised Walnut MirrorLocated in London, GBThe frame decorated with putti, birds and scrolling foliate. ContinentalCategory
Antique 19th Century Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Walnut
- Pair of Porcelain Wall Sconces by MeissenBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBThis exquisite pair of German Rococo style Meissen sconces feature beautifully encrusted porcelain flowers and petals and exceptionally finely hand painted passages. In their unmatch...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of French Renaissance style Ormolu Wall Mirrors with CandelabraLocated in London, GBPair of French Renaissance style Ormolu Wall Mirrors with Candelabra French, 19th Century Height 75cm, width 41cm, depth 16cm Crafted from ormo...Category
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Girandoles
MaterialsOrmolu
- Pair of Rococo Style German Meissen Porcelain CandelabrasBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBPair of Rococo style German Meissen Porcelain candelabras German, circa 1860 Measures: Height 37cm, width 26cm, depth 15cm Rococo-sty...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century German Rococo Candelabras
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain MirrorBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New Orleans, LALavish Meissen porcelain serves as the extraordinary frame for this mirror. Exquisitely hand-painted in polychrome with gilt accents, the bountiful fr...Category
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Mirrors
MaterialsPorcelain, Mirror
- Large Oval Wall Mirror and Rococo Wall BracketsLocated in Reepham, GBSold as a set. A dramatic and distinctive 19th Century large oval wall mirror, the assured carving and decoration of the flower-studded foliag...Category
Antique 19th Century European Rococo Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGiltwood
- German Dresden Porcelain Serpentine Vibrant Foliage Wall Mirror, Signed, C 1870By Dresden PorcelainLocated in Hollywood, SCGerman Dresden porcelain serpentine vibrant foliage wall mirror, signed on reverso, late 19th century mirror retains the original silvered glass and wood ...Category
Antique 1870s German Rococo Wall Mirrors
MaterialsPaint, Wood, Glass, Porcelain
- Pair of Thuringian Meissen-style Porcelain Two-Light Mirror Grinadoles Ca. 1870Located in Ottawa, OntarioA pair of Thuringian Meissen-style porcelain two-light mirror Girandoles Circa 1870, probably Wallendorf Each of hexagonal-shape with foliate scrolls and rocaille borders, embe...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Other Wall Mirrors
MaterialsPorcelain
- Rococo Style Gilt Wall Mirror with Putti and Shelf BracketLocated in Chillerton, Isle of WightRococo Style gilt wall mirror with Putti and Shelf Bracket. The mirror has an exquisite gilt Frame in the Rococo Style, it is rectangular in shape...Category
Mid-20th Century Rococo Revival Wall Mirrors
MaterialsComposition
- Petite French Baroque Style 1885s Silvered Wood Wall Bracket with Oval MirrorLocated in Palm Desert, CAA petite French Baroque style wall bracket with mirror made of carved and silvered wood from the 19th century. The scalloped top rests on a scrolling leaf designed support above a small oval-shaped mirror. Unusually placed below the shelf, the mirror is set within a pierced Baroque cartouche...Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Baroque Wall Brackets
MaterialsMirror, Wood