Meissen Blue Bouquet Gilt Four Dinner Plates Hand-painted 1940
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Uppsala , SE
Meissen Blue Bouquet Gilt 1940s 4 dinner plates in very good vintage condition D 25 cm (9,84 inches) Every plate has different bouquet Delicately gilded edges Plates are in very...
Porcelain
Three Meissen Porcelain Plates Showing Old Master Paintings
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Three Meissen porcelain plates showing Old Master paintings German, c. 1880 Height 3.5cm, diameter 24cm Created by the renowned German porcelain manufactory Meissen in the late 19th...
Porcelain
$22,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 1 in Dm 9.25 in
Set of Twelve Meissen Porcelain Plates with Putti and Heavenly Scenes
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A fabulous and pristine set of twelve neoclassical style 19th century Meissen Porcelain plates hand painted with putti, fruit, garland, and heavenly scenes. The center of each plate ...
Porcelain
White and Gold Gilted Porcelain Plate by Meissen, Germany, 1950s
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Rijssen, NL
Porcelain plate with a rich gold decor, made by Meissen Porcelain, Germany in around 1950. It was the first porcelain factory in Europe to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. T...
Porcelain
Two Plates 24 cm Meissen Blue Onion Gilt Germany
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Uppsala , SE
Meissen Blue Onion Pierced 2 Luncheon Plates Design: Features the classic Blue Onion (Zwiebelmuster) pattern with stylized floral and fruit motifs, including peaches and pomegranate...
Porcelain
$895 / set
H 1 in Dm 8 in
Pair 19th Century Meissen Hand-Painted Fruit Cabinet Plates Gilt Scalloped Edges
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of 19th-Century Meissen Hand-Painted Fruit Cabinet Plates with Gilt Scalloped Rims A refined pair of 19th-century Meissen porcelain cabinet plates, each delicately hand-painted...
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain plate in relief decor and hand painted in gold.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Deep Cabinet Plate with Handles
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep cabinet plate with handles. This piece is hand painted in cobalt blue with floral motive in the center and richly decorated gold edge. Signed on the bottom.
Porcelain
19th Century Rococo Porcelain Ceremonial Plate Meissen Birds
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Uppsala , SE
Design and Features: This particular plate features a scalloped rim with gilt decoration and a central hand-painted scene of birds on a tree, characteristic of the avian themes popul...
Porcelain
Meissen Marcolini-Period Reticulated Porcelain Plate, Circa (1774–1814)
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Meissen Marcolini-Period Reticulated Porcelain Plate, circa (1774–1814) A finely modeled Meissen porcelain reticulated plate from the Marcolini period (1774–1814), distinguished by ...
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Reticulated Plate With Hand-Painted Floral And Gilded
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Norwood, NJ
A superb example of Meissen craftsmanship, this hand-painted porcelain plate features a finely reticulated border of raised grape leaves and vines, accented throughout with hand-appl...
Porcelain
$395
H 1.5 in Dm 11 in
Meissen Porcelain 11-inch Scalloped Serving Dish or Plate with Floral Decoration
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique porcelain serving dish or large plate. By the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Decorated with blue underglaze flowers with gilt stems and twigs on a white ground.
Porcelain
$18,000
H 6.5 in Dm 9.5 in
Rare 19th C. Meissen ‘Schneeballen’ 'Snowball' Covered Bowl & Plate W/ Birds
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A Rare 19th Century Meissen Porcelain ‘Schneeballen’ (Snowball) Covered Bowl and Underplate with Encrusted Flowers, Vines, Leaves, and Birds. This piece is very rare and extremely hi...
Porcelain
Gilt Bronze Mounted Porcelain Clock
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Norwood, NJ
Gilt bronze mounted continental Porcelain clock. Porcelain and gilt bronze mounted continental clock. Loius XVI style. Figural and floral painted scenes. Features open escapement mov...
Gold Plate, Bronze
Meissen. 12 porcelain plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 12 plates, D. 16 cm, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$560 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 9.85 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain dinner plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 dinner plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$560 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 9.85 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain dinner plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 dinner plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$560 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 9.85 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain dinner plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 dinner plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$400 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 7.88 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain lunch plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 lunch plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$400 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 7.88 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain lunch plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 lunch plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$400 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 7.88 in
Meissen. 4 porcelain lunch plates with blue floral motifs and gilt rim.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen 4 lunch plates, early 20th century. Hand-decorated porcelain with hand-painted blue floral motifs and gilt accents along the rim.
Porcelain
$2,451 / set
H 0.79 in Dm 8.27 in
Meissen Porcelain Dessert Plate, Reticulated, Hand-Painted, 1880-1900
Located in Uppsala , SE
These plates are a beautiful example of Meissen porcelain, specifically a reticulated (or openwork) cabinet or dessert plate.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Set of Three Meissen Painted and Gilt Plates. Circa 1740
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Charleston, SC
Set of three Meissen decorative painted and gilt floral plates.
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain turquoise color plate decorated with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Deep Cabinet Plate/Bowl
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep cabinet plate/bowl is cobalt blue color with gold decor and relief floral motives. It is hand painted with floral motives in the center.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Sold
H 10 in W 10 in D 1 in
Meissen Dinner Plates Set Service for 12 Gilt White Golden Baroque Pattern
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Austin, TX
This elegant Meissen set displays a perfect balance of simplicity and adornment. The crisp white porcelain is offset by thin gold bands contouring the lobed form. Rims feature acanth...
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Large Oval Meissen Porcelain Gilded Cobalt Blue Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain plate hand painted in cobalt blue color with rich gold decor and handles.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Deep Cabinet Plate / Bowl with Handles
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep cabinet plate or bowl with handles. This piece is hand painted with floral motives and richly decorated with gold.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Tea Cup with Saucer and Dessert Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain tea cup with saucer and dessert plate all richly decorated with gold. Measures: Cup: 7.2 (H) x 10 cm Saucer: 15.5 cm Dessert plate: 19.5 cm.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Coffee Cup with Saucer and Dessert Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain coffee cup with saucer and dessert plate all richly decorated with gold. Measures: Cup: H 6 x 9 x 7.5 cm Saucer: 12 cm Dessert plate: 14 cm.
Porcelain
Antique Pair of German Meissen Pictorial & Reticulated Porcelain Plates
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique pair of German porcelain plates by Meissen offer central hand painted courting scenes in countryside settings with scalloped and reticulated rim having basket weave patter...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Serving Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain serving plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Serving Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large antique Meissen Porcelain serving plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Cobalt and Gold Deep Cabinet Plate/Bowl
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep cabinet plate/bowl is cobalt blue color with rich gold decor. It is hand painted with floral motives.
Porcelain
Rococo style Meissen Large Tray/Plate Germany 1934-1945
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Uppsala , SE
Meissen, Large Tray, porcelain, Rococo style, Germany, 1934-1945. Rich decoration of shells and cartouches, partially gilded. The mirror features a polychrome painted floral bouquet...
Porcelain
White and Gold Gilted Porcelain Plate by Meissen, Germany, 1950s
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Rijssen, NL
Porcelain plate with a rich gold decor, made by Meissen Porcelain, Germany in around 1950. It was the first porcelain factory in Europe to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. T...
Porcelain
White and Gold Gilted Porcelain Plate by Meissen, Germany, 1950s
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Rijssen, NL
Porcelain plate with a rich gold decor, made by Meissen Porcelain, Germany in around 1950. It was the first porcelain factory in Europe to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. T...
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Deep Cabinet Plate/Bowl
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep cabinet plate/bowl in cobalt blue color with gold decor and relief floral motives. It is hand painted with floral motives in the center.
Porcelain
Meissen Gold and Floral Decor Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain plate richly decorated with gold and hand painted floral decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Gold and Floral Decor Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
German Meissen porcelain plate richly decorated with gold and hand painted floral decor.
Porcelain
Antique Meissen Porcelain Gold and White Plate, Germany
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful Antique Meissen white porcelain plate or Centerpiece with high gold relief design, circa 19th Century, Germany. Meissen plate measures: 11 in. Diameter x 2 in. H Item ...
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Deep Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen porcelain deep plate with hand painted relief floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Large Deep Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large deep Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Serving Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain serving plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Plate/Bowl with Handles
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate/bowl with relief floral motives hand painted in gold. Measurements: 39 x 25 x (H) 8 cm.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Serving Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain serving plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor. Marked on the bottom. Sword with two slashes.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Hand Painted Gilded Porcelain Serving Plate/Tray
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain serving plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Cobalt Blue Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and cobalt blue color with rich gold decor.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Cobalt and Gold Deep Cabinet Plate/Bowl
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Meissen Porcelain deep cabinet plate/bowl is cobalt blue color with rich gold decor. It is hand painted with floral motive in the center.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Porcelain Hand Painted and Gilded Cobalt Blue Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large Meissen Porcelain plate with hand painted floral motives and cobalt blue color with gold decor.
Porcelain
Five Antique Meissen Porcelain Plates with Hand Painted Flowers & Gilt C1900
Located in Big Flats, NY
Five Antique Meissen Porcelain Plates with Hand Painted Garden Flowers & Gilt Highlights, en Verso Maker Mark, C1900 Measures - 1.5"h x 9.75"diam A set of five exquisite antique Meis...
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Meissen Gilt Leaf Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
Antique Meissen leaf plate, 19th century. Hand decorated in gilt on blanc de chine porcelain.
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Meissen Porcelain Cabinet Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
Late 19th century Meissen porcelain cabinet plate.
Porcelain
19th Century, Meissen Porcelain Cobalt Blue Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
Dark cobalt with gold embossed roses in centre. Blue cross mark on base.
Porcelain
19th Century Meissen Porcelain Plate
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
Gilt edge decorated with a pair of birds. Blue Meissen cross mark. With original box.
Porcelain
Sold
H 1.38 in Dm 9 in
Antique Meissen Porcelain Plate with Floral Bouquet Scalloped Teardrop & Lattice
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Washington Crossing, PA
Gorgeous white porcelain hand-painted floral plate by Meissen. Features a lovely hand-painted floral bouquet in the center of the plate in shades of purple, pink, orange, blue, and y...
Porcelain
$1,920Sale Price / set|50% Off
Vintage Limoges Porcelain Dinnerware Set - 80 Pieces
By Limoges
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite vintage dinnerware set, likely crafted in fine Limoges porcelain, features delicate floral patterns and gold accents. Each piece is signed “France,” a hallmark of its ...
Porcelain
$194,500
H 32 in Dm 51 in
Italian 19th-20th Century Whimsical White Marble Wishing Wellhead with Children
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and exceptionally carved Italian 19th-20th century Baroque Revival style whimsical white Carrara marble wishing wellhead, raised on an octagonal two-step marble base. The...
Carrara Marble
$95 / item
H 0.75 in Dm 7.75 in
Early 20th Century Set 30 English Decorated Minton Fine China Dessert Plates
By Minton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Set of 30 English Hand-Decorated Minton Fine China Dessert Plates. The beautifully vibrant color hand painted dessert plates, each with a colorful floral design, an intricate trim ...
Porcelain
$1,920Sale Price / set|32% Off
H 0.79 in W 15.16 in D 12.01 in
Limoges Bernardaud 62 Pieces Fine Faience Dinner Service
By Bernardaud
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
Exquisite fine cream faience tableware set adorned with scattered roses and gold trim. The set consists of 62 pieces and would be ideal for casual dining, or would make an eyecatchin...
Faience, Paint
$18,500 / set
H 4.88 in Dm 4 in
Steuben Art Deco Topaz Handblown Crystal, 72-Piece Table Service for 12
By Frederick Carder Steuben
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This is an amazingly complete and perfect service for 12 made by Steuben. The hand blown topaz crystal is solid in the hand, all with polished pontils and projects the clean lines of...
Crystal
$95,950 / set
H 12 in W 18 in D 18 in
Chrysanthemum Tiffany Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 255 pcs Fitted Chest
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Chrysanthemum (c1880) originally called Indian Chrysanthemum .Tiffany's luxurious Chrysanthemum silver was designed in 1880 by Charles Grosjean. With its flowing curves, swirling ve...
Sterling Silver
$3,200
H 10.5 in W 13.75 in D 13.75 in
A French late 19th century Louis XV st. Lunéville Faience Porcelain serving set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and most decorative French late 19th century Louis XV st. Lunéville Faience Porcelain serving set. This most attractive fifty-four piece dining is painted on over glaze co...
Porcelain
Porcelain Transfer Decorate / Gilt Dinner Service Plate For 11 People
By Coronet
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Dine in timeless elegance with our Porcelain Painted and Gilt Floral Bouquet Decorated Set of Eleven Dinner Plates, a stunning creation from the mid-20th century by Coronet Chinaware...
Porcelain
$1,290 / set
H 1.19 in W 10.63 in D 9.85 in
Vintage Royal Albert 12 Place Tea & Coffee Service Set Mid 20th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a wonderful vintage 50 piece tea, coffee service by Royal Albert China, the design is called Old Country Roses, Circa 1960 in date. It is beautifully made of fine bone chi...
Porcelain
Antique Rococo Style Porcelain Mirror by Meissen
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Antique Rococo style porcelain mirror by Meissen German, 19th century Measures: Height 94cm, width 66cm, depth 14cm Manufactured by the renowned Meissen Porcelain factory, whic...
Porcelain, Mirror
Large English Porcelain Dinner Service, Minton, circa 1845
Located in New York, NY
With a soft turquoise ground, painted with a fine spray of flowers, with gilt scroll and dash borders. Comprising pair of covered tureens and stands, pair of vegetable tureens, well ...
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Mirror
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New Orleans, LA
Lavish Meissen porcelain serves as the extraordinary frame for this mirror. Exquisitely hand-painted in polychrome with gilt accents, the bountiful frame is adorned with all manner o...
Porcelain, Mirror
Tiffany & Co. Silver Serving Dish
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional two-handled serving bowl by Tiffany & Co. commemorates the marriage of Elizabeth Beirne McFarland and Randolph Barksdale, a prominent Virginia family, on May 26,...
Sterling Silver
$4,800 / set
H 8.5 in W 3 in D 3 in
12 Tall Elegant Raised Gilt Encrusted Antique Wine Glasses. Circa 1880's
By Moser
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A beautiful and elegant set of 12 wine goblets from the last quarter 19th century. They are tall measuring eight and one half inches and feature an elaborate blown stem with lovely r...
Crystal, Gold
$17,631 / set
H 87.01 in W 41.34 in D 88.59 in
Louis XVI Style Bunk Beds/Matching Pair of Single Beds Made by La Maison London
By La Maison London
Located in London, Park Royal
Louis XVI style bunk beds, exclusive to La Maison London: Hand carved featuring a band of intricate laurel leaves along the side bars and hand finished to order (picture shows a pale...
Wood
$2,250 / set
H 0.5 in Dm 10.5 in
Set of 12 Antique Wedgewood Dinner Plates with Heavy Gilt & Floral Decoration
By Wedgewood
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This set of twelve dinner plates were made by the well known Wedgewood factory of England in approximately 1900 in a Victorian style. The plates are composed of porcelain with a whit...
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.
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.