Girl Kissing Boy Figurine
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
People Also Browsed
Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Porcelain
Porcelain
Antique Late 19th Century German Victorian Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Porcelain
Vintage 1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Ceramic, Porcelain
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century German Porcelain
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Serving Pieces
Porcelain
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century German Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Ceramic, Paint
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Ceramic
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Antique 19th Century German Porcelain
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Art Deco Animal Sculptures
Porcelain
Recent Sales
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Romantic Figurative Sculptures
Porcelain
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Animal Sculptures
Plaster
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Porcelain
Finding the Right porcelain for You
Today you’re likely to bring out your antique and vintage porcelain in order to dress up your dining table for a special meal.
Porcelain, a durable and nonporous kind of pottery made from clay and stone, was first made in China and spread across the world owing to the trade routes to the Far East established by Dutch and Portuguese merchants. Given its origin, English speakers called porcelain “fine china,” an expression you still might hear today. "Fine" indeed — for over a thousand years, it has been a highly sought-after material.
Meissen Porcelain, one of the first factories to create real porcelain outside Asia, popularized figurine centerpieces during the 18th century in Germany, while works by Capodimonte, a porcelain factory in Italy, are synonymous with flowers and notoriously hard to come by. Modern porcelain houses such as Maison Fragile of Limoges, France — long a hub of private porcelain manufacturing — keep the city’s long tradition alive while collaborating with venturesome contemporary artists such as illustrator Jean-Michel Tixier.
Porcelain is not totally clumsy-guest-proof, but it is surprisingly durable and easy to clean. Its low permeability and hardness have rendered porcelain wares a staple in kitchens and dining rooms as well as a common material for bathroom sinks and dental veneers. While it is tempting to store your porcelain behind closed glass cabinet doors and reserve it only for display, your porcelain dinner plates and serving platters can safely weather the “dangers” of the dining room and be used during meals.
Add different textures and colors to your table with dinner plates and pitchers of ceramic and silver or a porcelain lidded tureen, a serving dish with side handles that is often used for soups. Although porcelain and ceramic are both made in a kiln, porcelain is made with more refined clay and is stronger than ceramic because it is denser.
On 1stDibs, browse an expansive collection of antique and vintage porcelain made in a variety of styles, including Regency, Scandinavian modern and other examples produced during the mid-century era, plus Rococo, which found its inspiration in nature and saw potters crafting animal figurines and integrating organic motifs such as floral patterns in their work.
Read More
How the Chunky, Funky Ceramics of 5 Mid-Century American Artists Balanced Out Slick Modernism
Get to know the innovators behind the pottery countercultural revolution.
Ready for a Cinderella Moment? This Glass Handbag Is a Perfect Fit
Glass slippers might be the stuff of fairytales, but glass handbags? Artist Joshua Raiffe has made them a reality, and they're far less delicate than you might imagine, but just as dreamy.
With Dansk, Jens Quistgaard Delivered Danish Simplicity to American Tables
When a visionary Copenhagen designer teamed up with an enterprising Long Island couple, Scandi-style magic landed in kitchens and dining rooms across the United States.
Hostess Extraordinaire Aerin Lauder Shares Entertaining Tips and Auction Picks
The arbiter of good taste, who has curated a collection for 1stDibs Auctions, invites 1stDibs inside her family’s Hamptons barn for a firsthand look at her welcoming style.
Handmade with Lab-Grade Glass, This Decanter Holds Your Favorite Cocktail Concoctions
Artist Simone Crestani conjures the fascination you remember from Chemistry 101.
28 Cheerful Home Bars, Where Everybody (Literally) Knows Your Name
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Meet the Celebrated Hostess Whose Magical Tabletops Enhance Every Occasion
For Stephanie Booth Shafran, entertaining guests is about opening her heart as well as her home.
How to Identify Real Capodimonte Porcelain
Early examples by the Italian manufacturer can be hard to come by, but the best later pieces possess the same over-the-top charm.