$3,509 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Rich Dragon Red & Gold, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, decor number 320510 - Rich Dragon in reds, shaded gold, gold rim
Porcelain
$4,114 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Rich Dragon Black, Red & Gold, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, Decor number 321010 - Rich Dragon in black, shaded red and gold
Porcelain
$5,929 / set
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Diadem, Indian Border No. 129, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set for 6 Persons: Decor number 363610 - Diadem, Indian border No. 129
Porcelain
$27,500 / set
H 11.5 in Dm 3 in
German Meissen 'Marcolini' Porcelain Tea and Coffee Service, circa 1790
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
Comprising coffee pot, tea pot, covered cream jug, covered sugar, ten tea cups, six coffee cups, 16
Porcelain
A Meissen Dot Period Porcelain 'Hausmaler' Tea & Coffee Service, 1763-74
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
A Rare Meissen Dot Period Porcelain Hausmaler Eight Person Tea and Coffee Service 1763-74
Porcelain
$4,598 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set For 7 Persons, Bouquets, Blue Rim & Gold, Ca. 1860
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen coffee service, consisting of 24 parts: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 cream jug, 1 lidded sugar
Porcelain
$11,495 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Swan Service Coffee Set For 6 Persons, With Indian Flowers, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set for 6 Persons: Meissen service, consisting of 23 pieces: 1 coffee pot
Porcelain
$10,769 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Swan Service Tea Coffee Set For 6 Persons, With Indian Flowers, 20th C
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set for 6 Persons: Meissen service, consisting of 22 pieces: 1 coffee
Porcelain
$37,500
H 1 in Dm 12.5 in
German Meissen Porcelain Swan Service Pattern Part Coffee Service, 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
After the models by Johann Joachim Kändler and Johann Friedrich Eberlein, in low relief with two swimming swans among bulrushes with a crane in flight above, upon a spiral shell mold...
Porcelain
$8,349 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen B-Shape Coffee Set For 6 Persons With Purple, Gold & Flowers, 20th Cent.
By Meissen Porcelain, Ernst August Leuteritz
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 22 pieces: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 sugar bowl, 6 cups
Porcelain
$5,324 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen B-Shape Coffee Set For 6 Persons With Purple, Flowers & Gold Decor, 20th
By Meissen Porcelain, Ernst August Leuteritz
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 15 pieces: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 sugar bowl, 6 cups
Porcelain
$19,118 / set
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Mocha & Dessert Set For 6 Persons 1001 Arabian Nights 25 Pieces
By Heinz Werner, Meissen Porcelain, Ludwig Zepner
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 25 pieces: 1 mocha pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 lidded sugar bowl, 1
Porcelain
$47,500
H 1 in Dm 7 in
Meissen Porcelain 'Old Rich Yellow Lion' Pattern Tea and Coffee Service, c. 1900
Located in New York, NY
Comprising 2 coffee pots (one with glaze crack), 2 teapots, 2 creamers (1 with restoration)and 2
Porcelain
$760 / set
H 2.37 in Dm 3.55 in
Meissen, Germany. Set of six pairs of "Pink Indian" porcelain coffee cups.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany. A set of six pairs of "Pink Indian" porcelain coffee cups. Hand-painted with
Porcelain
$360 / set
H 2.37 in Dm 3.55 in
Meissen, Germany, Green Ivy Vine.Set of four large coffee cups and saucers.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany, Green Ivy Vine. A set of four large coffee cups and saucers. Mid-20th century
Porcelain
Unavailable
H 7 in W 19 in D 16 in
Meissen Early 20th Century 16-Piece Coffee/Tea Set with Cupids and Flowers for 6
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
16 piece coffee/tea set with cupids and flowers. Original wooden box. Crossed swords mark. Meissen
Porcelain, Wood
Meissen Coffee Solitaire Set Provenance Chatsworth Attic Sale
Located in Leeds, GB
A Meissen Coffee Solitaire Set. Very finely decorated with scenes of German towns, including
Porcelain
Meissen Coffee Set Six Persons Rare Decor Flower Bouquet, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee set for six persons: This coffee set is
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Rich Dragon Green & Gold, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, decor number 320310 - Rich Dragon in greens shaded gold, gold
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Rich Dragon Yellow & Gold, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, decor number 320610 - Rich Dragon in yellows, shaded gold, gold
Porcelain
Sold
H 9.64 in Dm 7.28 in L 9.64 in
Meissen Coffee Set Rich Green Dragon Decor Nr 320310 Six Persons Made circa 1970
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee set for six persons: This coffee set is
Porcelain
Sold
H 9.84 in Dm 7.28 in
Meissen Coffee Set Six Persons Decor Chrysocolla Flowers Marseille 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee set for six persons: This coffee set
Porcelain
Sold
H 13.78 in W 27.56 in D 27.56 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 6 Persons Rich Dragon Black, Red & Gold, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, Decor number 321010 - Rich Dragon in black, shaded red and gold
Porcelain
Meissen Coffee Set Decor Blue Panicle Blaue Rispe Richard Riemerschmid
By Richard Riemerschmid
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid as well as rare Meissen coffee set: White porcelain
Porcelain
Meissen Coffee Set Flower Bouquet Nr. 111120 Six Persons Pfeiffer Period
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee set for six persons: This coffee set is
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
19th Century Meissen Coffee Set for 6 Persons, Cobalt, Bouquets and Gold Decor
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen coffee service, consisting of 15 parts: coffee pot with lid, milk jug, sugar bowl, six cups
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee Set For 9 Persons With Cobalt Bouquet Painting & Gold, Early 19th
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Early Meissen coffee or tea service, 23 pieces, consisting of a coffee pot with lid, a hot water
Porcelain
Meissen Tea and Coffee Service
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New Orleans, LA
This rare and extensive Meissen porcelain tea and coffee service displays exceptional artistry
Gold
Meissen 24-karat Golden Baroque Gold Leaf on White Porcelain Coffee/Tea Set
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Stamford, CT
Antique Meissen 24-karat golden baroque gold leaf on white porcelain coffee tea set. Coffee pot
Gold Leaf
Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Cabinet Coffee Cup & Saucer
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A very fine German Meissen porcelain cabinet coffee cup and saucer hand painted with shipping
Porcelain
Meissen Blue Onion Coffee Pot, Vibrantly Painted and Very Nice Condition
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A classic and elegant pattern by Meissen. This pot is a nice large size and beautiful scale
Sold
H 1.86 in Dm 5.28 in
A Meissen Dot Period Porcelain Tea Cup and Saucer and Coffee Cup, 1763 - 1774
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
A Meissen Dot Period Porcelain Tea Cup and Saucer and Coffee Cup, 1763 - 1774 Additional
Porcelain
German Meissen "Purple Indian" Porcelain Coffee/Tea Set
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
German Meissen porcelain coffee / tea set for 8 persons including serving items. Porcelain is hand
Gold
Meissen Coffee Tea Set Twelve Persons Purple Chinese Flowers Hens & Cocks
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee / tea set for twelve persons: The
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set For 6 Persons Flowers, Blue Rim & Gold, Mid-20th
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen coffee service, consisting of 21 parts: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 cream jug, 1 lidded sugar
Porcelain
Sold
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee & Tea Set For 6 People, Indian Flowers Coloured & Gold, 20th C.
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen coffee and tea service, consisting of 24 parts: 1 coffee pot, 1 tea pot, 1 milk jug, 1
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee & Tea Set For 6 Persons, X-Shape, With Elaborate Gold Decor
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 24 parts: coffee pot with lid, teapot with lid, milk jug, sugar bowl
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
18th Century Meissen Coffee & Tea Set for 9 Persons with Black Rose Decor
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Very early Meissen coffee and tea service, 24 pieces, consisting of a coffee pot with a lid, a
Porcelain
Sold
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 31.5 in
Meissen Coffee and Tee Set with Dessert Plates 12 People Rich Dragon, Yellow
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest porcelain set from The Meissen/Germany Manufactory Dating: made second half of the 20th
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen B-Shape Coffee Set For 6 Persons With Cobalt & Lavish Gold Decor, 20th
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 21 pieces: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 sugar bowl, 6 cups
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen B-Shape Coffee Set for 6 Persons with Purple & Elaborate Gold Decor
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 21 parts: coffee pot with lid, milk jug, sugar bowl, six cups, six
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set For 6 Persons 'Arabian Nights', Prof. Werner, 20th
By Meissen Porcelain, Ludwig Zepner, Heinz Werner
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 22 pieces: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 sugar bowl, 6 cups
Porcelain
Meissen, Germany. Porcelain coffee set: coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany. Porcelain coffee set comprising a coffee pot, creamer, and sugar bowl. Hand
Porcelain
Meissen, "Pink Rose" set of four coffee cups with saucers, 1930s/40s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, "Pink Rose" set of four coffee cups with saucers, hand-painted with pink roses. Circa 1930
Porcelain
Meissen, Set of 4 Coffee Cups and Saucers, Sugar Bowl and Creamer
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, set of 4 coffee cups and saucers, sugar bowl and creamer, circa 1920. In perfect
Sold
H 11.8 in W 23.6 in D 15.7 in
Meissen Coffee and Tee Set With Dessert Plates Chinese Straw Decor 6 People
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest porcelain set From The Meissen/Germany Manufactory Dating: made second half of the 20th
Porcelain
Meissen Coffee Set Bouquet Nr. 051110 12 Persons Pfeiffer Period 1924-1934
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen Coffee Set for twelve persons: This coffee set
Porcelain
Meissen Coffee Set Decor Flower Bouquet Nr.111120 Six Persons, 20th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
We invite you here to look at a splendid Meissen coffee set for six persons: This coffee set is
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Tea / Coffee Service / 12 People
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Beautiful German Meissen porcelain coffee / tea service for twelve people. The coffee / tea service
Gold
German Meissen Gilt Porcelain Coffee Set for 2 Persons
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
German Meissen porcelain coffee set for 2 persons. Including coffee pot, milk jug, sugar bowl and
Gold
Meissen, Germany. Six-person coffee set in porcelain. Early 20th C.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany. Six-person coffee set in porcelain consisting of six cups and six saucers. Hand
Porcelain
Meissen, Red Dragon, Coffee Pot
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Heemskerk, NL
A Meissen red dragon coffee pot. The pot was made by Meissen and has been decorated with the
Porcelain
Sold
H 9.75 in W 7.88 in D 7.5 in
Meissen Rich Court Dragon Tea or Coffee Set With 6 Plates and 6 Cups & Saucers
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Boston, MA
This is a fabulous Meissen rich court dragon tea or coffee set, which includes a tea or coffee pot
Porcelain
Sold
H 8.67 in W 23.43 in D 15.95 in
Meissen Chinoiserie Travelling Tea and Coffee Service in the Original Case
By Johann Gregorius Höroldt, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Weinheim, DE
Johann Gregorius Höroldt Meissen 1723 The service is consisting of: The original case, six cups
Porcelain, Paste
Meissen Coffee Cup & Saucer, Landscapes in Purple Scale, C.1775
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Geelong, Victoria
Meissen coffee cup & saucer, the handle an elegant double twig with acanthus leaf terminals, well
Porcelain
Exceptional 18th Century Carved Giltwood Door
Located in New Orleans, LA
Period Louis XIV carved giltwood bow front door. The door is mounted on a piece of wood to preserve its original condition.
Giltwood
$16,955Sale Price|20% Off
H 68.31 in W 87.01 in D 13.78 in
Antique Neoclassical Pine and Lime Wood Georgian Style Fireplace Surround
Located in Edinburgh, GB
A substantial and impressive architectural late 19th century profusely carved pine and lime wood fireplace surround in the Georgian manner of Robert Adam. The shelf perfectly evokes ...
Pine
$1,999 / set
H 6.7 in W 7.09 in D 3.35 in
Art Deco Rabbit, Hare Silver Plated Bronze Bookends, A.E.L, 1920s
By A.E.L.
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Very nice Art Deco rabbit, hare silver plated bronze bookends. Signed A.E.L. , stamped France and 28. Mounted Over Russian Onix. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art ...
Brass
Elegant Japanese Edo Period Rack
Located in New York, NY
This refined object dates to the first half of the 19th century, and was probably used for obi, kimono sashes, which were hung over it. The gold decorations on the black-lacquered g...
Lacquer
30:30 Landscape Architecture Book
Located in New York, NY
30 internationally renowned landscape architects showcase their own work as well as that of 30 of the best of a new generation of forward looking and innovative designers. This up-t...
Paper
$4,895
H 37.5 in W 53 in D 27 in
Antique French Louis XVI Alpaca Mohair Love Seat Sofa with Carved Details
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Antique French Louis XVI Alpaca Mohair Love Seat Sofa with Carved Details Country: France Materials: Carved Wood, Alpaca Mohair Condition: Newly Reupholstered Style: French L...
Alpaca, Wood
Vintage Meissen Lidded Tureen with Putto Figure
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Blue crossed swords mark to the base. A footed bowl with a wide sight scalloped gilt rim with shell and acanthus leaf handles and decorated with insects and flowers. The lid is decor...
Porcelain
French Wrought-Iron Shelves, Dated "1889"
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Unusual and elegant wrought iron shelves or plant-stand, dated from 1889, the year of the Exposition Universelle (World Fair) in Paris. The piece is decorated with stylised fleur-de-...
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Sterling Silver Renaissance style Entree Dish
By Arval Argenti Valenza
Located in VALENZA, IT
Renaissance-style round sterling silver entree dish. The bottom of the entree dish is smooth, while a border made with the casting technique with acanthus leaf motifs has been welded...
Sterling Silver
$1,798
H 4.5 in W 3.3 in D 2.2 in
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver Tea Caddy by Edward Barnard & Sons Ltd
By Edward Barnard & Sons
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver tea caddy made by Edward Barnard & Sons Ltd; an addition to our silver teaware collection. This excep...
Silver, Sterling Silver
$1,058 / set
H 10.5 in W 5 in D 5 in
Antique Pair Irish Waterford Crystal Hand Cut Full Lead Lustres Vases Ireland
By Waterford Crystal
Located in Dublin, Ireland
A Stylish Example of a Fine Pair of Hand Cut Full Lead Crystal Lusters of outstanding heavy gauge quality and good size proportions, made in Ireland by the World-famous Irish Glass C...
Crystal
$225Sale Price|50% Off
H 9 in W 10 in D 7 in
Spectacular White Sea Shells Weddings Treasure Jewelry Box
Located in Boca Raton, FL
White natural sea shells encrusted treasure box in Redmille style. Great sea shells selection. Wonderful decor piece or a great gift.
Shell
$2,275Sale Price|43% Off
H 11.6 in W 8 in D 3.4 in
Impressive Tall Heavy Cut Vase, Antique Val Saint Lambert. Great Ruby Color
By Val Saint Lambert
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A large and custom piece, possibly done for an exhibition, we have the pleasure of offering for sale this wonderful presentation vase. A Classic signature piece from the storied glas...
Cut Glass
$1,800
H 9 in W 11.75 in D 9.5 in
Antique KPM Royal Berlin Porcelain Hand-Painted Tureen with Cornucopia & Cherub
By KPM Porcelain
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique KPM porcelain tureen with flower encrusted handles, Deutsche Blumen floral sprays, and a figural cherub and cornucopia finial. The base bears a blue underglaze fac...
Porcelain
$1,250
H 2.38 in Dm 3.75 in
Antique Gilt Paris Porcelain Table Snuff Box or Round Casket by Bloch & Bourdois
By Bloch & Bourdois
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A compelling round 19th century Paris porcelain box by Bloch and Bourdois. With raised gold decoration, hand-painted vignettes and floral sprays, and a gilt bronze mount. Base ...
Porcelain
Model of the Schooner Yacht "America"
Located in Norwell, MA
Fine, scale model of the schooner yacht “America”, the first winner of the America’s Cup. Copper sheathed below the waterline. Mahogany deck, linen sails. Mounted into a brass displa...
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.
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.