Dresden Porcelain Marks

No, Dresden is not always marked. Pieces made shortly after the company's founding in 1872 often bear no mark. A licensed appraiser can help you identify unmarked Dresden porcelain. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Dresden serveware and decorative objects.

There is no single Dresden porcelain mark because, over the years, the German maker employed many different markings to identify its pieces. Many pieces feature the letter N or a crown, while some display both. Dresden also used its wordmark with and without an image of a lamb. To determine whether a marking on a particular piece indicates Dresden porcelain, look up the mark using trusted online resources or enlist the services of a certified appraiser. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of Dresden porcelain.

The famous porcelain from Dresden is usually just referred to as Dresden porcelain. However, its maker is Sächsische Porzellan-Manufaktur Dresden GmbH, which translates to Saxon Porcelain Manufactory in Dresden Ltd. The company opened in Potschappel, a suburb of Freital in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Dresden, in 1872. Find a variety of Dresden porcelain on 1stDibs.

The history of Dresden Porcelain began with the founding of Sächsische Porzellanmanufaktur Dresden by Carl-Johann Gottlob Thieme in 1872 in the city of Freital, Saxony. During the decades that followed, his son-in-law Carl August Kuntzsch joined the company and pioneered the process of adding ornate floral ornamentation to porcelain. When Thieme died in 1912, Kuntzsch took up the reins of Dresden Porcelain. The company saw a decline during World War I and II. During the period after the Second World War, the Soviet Union gradually assumed control of Dresden Porcelain, renaming it VEB Sächsische Porzellan-Manufaktur Dresden. The reunification of Germany in 1990 allowed the company to return to private ownership. A French investor group purchased it in 1991 and then sold it to the Dresden IPV group, led by art patron Jürgen Wegener, in 1993. Gunther Seifert and Klaus-Peter Arnold bought out the group following its bankruptcy in 1998, only to resell it to Geschwister Hillebrand GmbH in 2005. Explore a selection of Dresden Porcelain on 1stDibs.

There are a few ways to identify porcelain marks. The quickest method is photographing the marking and performing a reverse image search. Often, this approach will allow you to quickly identify the maker of your porcelain. Alternatively, you can type a short description of the mark into a search engine or review trusted reference websites that show images of popular makers’ markings. If these approaches don't provide you with enough information to make a confident identification, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer can assist you. On 1stDibs, find a large selection of porcelain.