Large Meissen Porcelain Group of Gardeners, Late 19th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Taken from a model of 1772 by M.C. Avier and J.C. Schönheit, this charming porcelain group by the Meissen manufactory depicts a group of five figures around a central rock mound, inv...
Porcelain
Large Allegorical Group, The Disarming Of Cupid, E. Andresen, Meissen, Ca. 1890
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Very delicate Meissen porcelain group of the late 19th century: Three beautiful young women with artfully pinned-up hair and wrapped in loose cloths grouped on a high towering rock, ...
Porcelain
Meissen Group Six Figurines Allegory of Earth
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Norwood, NJ
Large Meissen group of figurines which are Allegory of Earth assembled around a Lion's Figurine.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Art Nouveau Group, Spring, With Cupid by Emmerich Oehler, ca 1913
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
He made a name for himself above all with his models of figures and animals and thus had a decisive influence on the Art Nouveau period in Meissen. Design of Model C 208 around 1912...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Porcelain Group of Lovers Kissing in the Ocean on a Rock
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A Large Meissen Porcelain group of lovers kissing in the Ocean on a Rock.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Group, Crinoline Lady Playing With Child, Paul Scheurich, Mid-20th
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest Meissen Porcelain Figurine Group: Seated crinoline lady in an elaborate costume: under the wide skirt, partially turned up at the hem, you can see the pleated petticoat with a...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Porcelain Figurine Group 'Apollo & Daphne', By Juechtzer, Ca. 1860
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Apollo clothed with a cloak embraces Daphne from behind, who is fleeing from him and has already frozen into a ...
Porcelain
Large Mythological Meissen Group, The Wedding, by J.C. Schoenheit, Circa 1850
By Johann Carl Schoenheit, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Exceptional rare Meissen porcelain group: A group of three figures in elaborate Rococo attire: the young, pretty lady in a bodice dress with a low neckline, a long skirt, a bustle an...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Cupid Group 'Allegory - The Four Seasons', By Leuteritz, Ca. 1880
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
An excellent and rare Meissen group of the seasons with large figures: Four amoretti wrapped in cloths grouped on a rock, representing the four seasons: a female amoretto as spring w...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Rococo Genre Group, The Approach, by J.C. Schoenheit, Circa 1850
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Carl Schoenheit
Located in Vienna, AT
Exceptional rare Meissen porcelain group: A group of three figures in elaborate Rococo attire: the young, pretty lady in a bodice dress with a low neckline, a long skirt, a bustle an...
Porcelain
Very Large Mythological Meissen Group 'Apollo & Daphne' By J.J. Kaendler, C 1860
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Apollo, clothed with a cloak, attempts to seize Daphne from behind as she flees from him and freezes into a lau...
Porcelain
19th Century Meissen Group of Calvary General Mikhail Kutuzov with Aide de Camp
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A Very Large 19th century Meissen porcelain Group of Russian Calvary General, believed to be Mikhail Kutuzov, the hero of Borodino, with aide de camp, marked with the Meissen undergl...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Porcelain Group, Young Man With A White Horse, By Kaendler, 20th
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Depiction of a young man dressed in a colourful robe – blue shirt and trousers with a yellow frock coat – with a turban and earrings, a dagger stuck in his red sash, holding a red ca...
Porcelain
The Catch Of The Triton, Large Mythological Meissen Group, J.J. Kändler, Ca 1860
By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent Meissen porcelain sculpture: Very elaborate and lovingly designed group of figures: two young women with artfully pinned-up hair and wrapped in cloths tied around their loi...
Porcelain
Large Mythological Meissen Group 'The Catch Of The Triton', J.J. Kändler, c 1860
By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent Meissen porcelain sculpture: Very elaborate and lovingly designed group of figures: two young women with artfully pinned-up hair and wrapped in cloths tied around their loi...
Porcelain
Large Mythological Meissen Group 'The Catch Of The Triton', J.J. Kändler, c 1870
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent Meissen porcelain sculpture: Very elaborate and lovingly designed group of figures: two young women with artfully pinned-up hair and wrapped in cloths tied around their loi...
Porcelain
Large Meissen Porcelain Group Allegory of Geography & Science, Maiden & Putties
Located in New York, NY
Most striking is the hand painted globe, where continents, coastlines, and fine linear markings are rendered with extraordinary clarity and precision. Large original Meissen figural...
Enamel
Rare 18th Century Meissen Porcelain Group of a Thalia with a Harlequin Child
By Meissen Porcelain, J.J. Kändler
Located in New York, NY
An important, extremely rare, and rather large 18th century Meissen Porcelain Group of a Thalia with a Harlequin Child, By Johann Joachim (J.J.)
Porcelain
Meissen, Germany. Large porcelain group of three noble figures. 19th C.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany. Large and impressive porcelain group of three noble figures. 19th century.
Porcelain
Meissen. Large and impressive porcelain group of noble figures. Gallant scene
Located in København, Copenhagen
Meissen, Germany. Large and impressive porcelain group of the noble figures.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Group of a Courting Couple, 19th Century
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Geelong, Victoria
Large Meissen figure of a vibrantly dressed courting couple, on a white base with coloured roses. Modelled after a Kaendler model of the mid-18th century. Crossed swords mark, ...
Porcelain
Meissen Figure of the Muse Terpsichore, by Kaendler, circa 1745
By J.J. Kaendler
Located in Geelong, Victoria
Meissen group of large size, depicting Terpsichore, the muse of dance and lyrical poetry, from a series of the nine Greek muses (the daughters of Zeus), depicted seated on a rocky ou...
Porcelain
Sold
H 12.21 in W 17.33 in D 11.82 in
Large Porcelain Group of Apollo and His Chariot in the Style of Meissen
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Large porcelain group of Apollo and his chariot in the style of Meissen German, 20th century Measures: Height 31cm, width 44cm, depth 30cm This impressive porcelain group, after...
Porcelain
Sold
H 16.93 in Dm 12.21 in
Large Meissen Porcelain Group 'Dance Of The Horae' By C. G. Starcke, Ca 1880
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent and extremely rare museum-quality Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Group of six fully sculpted porcelain figures, young pretty women barefoot in antique-style,...
Porcelain
Sold
H 13.38 in W 12.99 in D 10.23 in
Meissen Large Porcelain Figurine Group 'Cupid Is Tied Up' by Juechtzer
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent Large Meissen Figurine Group Manufactory: Meissen Germany Dating: made circa 1850 Hallmarked: Meissen blue crossed sword mark underglaze / first quality Model number:...
Porcelain
Sold
H 12.59 in W 5.9 in D 5.9 in
Large 19th Century Mythological Meissen Group 'Hero and Leander' by Juechtzer
By Meissen Porcelain, Christian Gottfried Juechtzer
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large Meissen Figurine Group Manufactory: Meissen Germany Dating: made circa 1850 Hallmarked: Meissen blue crossed sword mark underglaze / first quality Model: I 11 -...
Porcelain
Sold
H 14.38 in W 6.3 in D 5.91 in
Large Meissen Porcelain Figurine Group 'Apollo & Daphne' By Juechtzer, Ca 1860
By Meissen Porcelain, Christian Gottfried Juechtzer
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Apollo clothed with a cloak embraces Daphne from behind, who is fleeing from him and has already frozen into a ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 14.57 in W 6.3 in D 5.52 in
'Apollo & Daphne', Large Meissen Porcelain Figurine Group By G. Juechtzer C 1860
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: Apollo clothed with a cloak embraces Daphne from behind, who is fleeing from him and has already frozen into a ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 10.63 in Dm 9.06 in
Large Meissen Bacchanal Group, Bacchus And His Entourage, By Leuteritz, Ca. 1860
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Bacchus with a nymph, putto and satyr grouped around a wine barrel: The cheerful youthful god, his head crowned with a dense wreath of vines, his loins covered with a large leopard s...
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.42 in W 6.3 in D 5.52 in
Art Nouveau Porcelain Group 'The Mermaid Catch', by E. Herter, Meissen Ca 1900
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Exquisite Large Meissen Art Nouveau Porcelain Group: Exceptional detailed depiction of an unclothed sturdy fisherman with thick beard, freeing his catch, a beautiful mermaid adorned ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 9.06 in W 9.45 in D 9.06 in
Meissen Large Allegorical Group 'The Fire' by M.V. Acier, Germany Around 1850
By Michel Victor Acier 1, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Designer: MICHAEL VICTOR ACIER (1736 Versailles - 1799 Dresden) Trained as a sculptor in Paris, he received a call to the porcelain factory in Meissen in 1762: he created a large...
Porcelain
Sold
H 8.86 in W 9.06 in D 8.27 in
Meissen Large Allegorical Group 'The Fire' by M.V. Acier, Germany Around, 1850
By Meissen Porcelain, Michel Victor Acier 1
Located in Vienna, AT
Designer: MICHAEL VICTOR ACIER (1736 Versailles - 1799 Dresden) Trained as a sculptor in Paris, he received a call to the porcelain factory in Meissen in 1762: he created a large n...
Porcelain
Sold
H 8.67 in W 10.24 in D 7.88 in
Meissen Large Allegorical Group 'The Air' by M.V. Acier, Germany Around 1850
By Meissen Porcelain, Michel Victor Acier 1
Located in Vienna, AT
Designer: MICHAEL VICTOR ACIER (1736 Versailles - 1799 Dresden) Trained as a sculptor in Paris, he received a call to the porcelain factory in Meissen in 1762: he created a large n...
Porcelain
Sold
H 13 in W 8.67 in D 6.7 in
Large Mythological Meissen Group 'Triumph Of Venus', by J.J. Kaendler, c. 1870
By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Design of the group 1769. Manufactory: Meissen Germany Dating: made ca. 1870 Material: white porcelain, glossy finish Technique: handmade and finest hand painti...
Porcelain
Sold
H 9.65 in W 9.26 in D 7.88 in
Meissen Large Allegorical Group 'The Earth' by M.V. Acier, Germany Around 1850
By Michel Victor Acier 1, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Designer: MICHAEL VICTOR ACIER (1736 Versailles - 1799 Dresden) Trained as a sculptor in Paris, he received a call to the porcelain factory in Meissen in 1762: he created a large...
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.42 in W 6.5 in D 6.11 in
Meissen Porcelain Large Figurine Group 'Zephyr & Flora' By C.G. Juechtzer C.1860
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: The winged Zephyr, the gentle wind god, and Flora, goddess of vegetation and blossom, loosely wrapped in cloths...
Porcelain
Sold
H 25.59 in W 11.41 in D 7.48 in
Large Meissen Splendour Clock with Jupiter Group by E.A. Leuteritz, circa 1860
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
The clock was designed by Leuteritz in the Rococo style using old moulds: on four raised volute feet with gold rocaille ornamentation rises the clock case, open at the side by a vo...
Porcelain
Sold
H 19 in W 9 in D 15 in
A 19th Century Meissen Group of Calvary General Mikhail Kutuzov with Aide de Camp
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in New York, NY
A Very Large 19th century Meissen porcelain Group of Russian Calvary General, believed to be Mikhail Kutuzov, the hero of Borodino, with aide de camp, marked with the Meissen undergl...
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.42 in W 6.7 in D 5.52 in
Art Nouveau Meissen Porcelain Group the Mermaid Catch by E. Herter Q195 Ca 1900
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Exquisite Large Meissen Art Nouveau Porcelain Group: Exceptional, detailed depiction of an unclothed sturdy, fisherman with thick beard, freeing his catch, a beautiful mermaid adorn...
Porcelain
Sold
H 11.82 in W 9.65 in D 6.7 in
Large Mythological Meissen Group 'The Catch Of The Triton', J.J. Kändler, c 1850
By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent Meissen porcelain sculpture: Very elaborate and lovingly designed group of figures: two young women with artfully pinned-up hair and wrapped in cloths tied around their loi...
Porcelain
Sold
H 8.67 in W 9.45 in D 5.91 in
Large Meissen Dog Group, Pug With Puppy, by J.J. Kaendler, Germany, Circa 1850
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Lovingly designed animal group: Seated pug, facing left with one leg raised; beneath her, lying on its stomach, is a small puppy with its front paws folded over one another, peering ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 17.09 in W 16.93 in D 8.27 in
Large Meissen Figurine Group 'Tailor On Billy Goat', by J.J. Kaendler, ca 1850
By Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
An impressive, extravagant work of art in ideas, richness of detail and craftsmanship, based on a legend according to which the court tailor longed to be allowed to sit at the table ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 13.78 in W 13.78 in D 10.63 in
Meissen Art Nouveau Porcelain Group 'Indian Haunting A Buffalo', Hoesel, Germany
By Erich Hoesel, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Exquisite Large Meissen Art Nouveau Porcelain Group: Representation of a mounted warrior with a painted face, wearing only a small loincloth and moccasins on his feet, and crowned wi...
Porcelain
Sold
H 12.21 in W 9.45 in D 5.71 in
Large Meissen Group 'Allegory Of Africa' for Elisabeth I of Russia, c. 1850
By Johann Friedrich Eberlein, Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim Kaendler
Located in Vienna, AT
Personification of the continent of Africa as a dark-skinned woman who sits on a lion lying on the ground with its mouth open. Her waist and lower legs are dressed in brightly colore...
Porcelain
Sold
H 18.12 in W 9.06 in D 8.27 in
Rare Large Meissen Porcelain Figurine 'Psyche', By Rudolph Hoerl, Circa 1890
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large and rare Meissen figurine group from the 19th century: A breathtakingly beautiful young woman with her hair tied up and large butterfly wings on her back, naked excep...
Porcelain
Sold
H 12.79 in W 13.38 in D 10.82 in
Meissen Large Mythologic Group Captivation of Cupid by Juechtzer, circa 1870
By Christian Gottfried Juechtzer
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Tall Group of Stunning Figurines: The Captivation of Cupid MANUFACTORY: MEISSEN DATING: middle of 19th century / made circa 1860 - 70 MATERIAL: WHITE PORC...
Porcelain
Sold
H 8.27 in W 7.88 in D 5.12 in
Meissen Porcelain Group 'Europe on the Bull', by J.F. Eberlein, circa 1860
By Johann Friedrich Eberlein
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent large meissen figurine group around 1860: Beautiful, youthful Europe, the primordial mother of the continent, with her hair tied back and adorned with flowers, sits sidewa...
Porcelain
Porcelain Mythological Group of Triton by Meissen
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Porcelain mythological group of Triton by Meissen German, 19th century Measures: Height 31cm, width 27cm, depth 17cm This large and impressive Meissen porcelain group depicts a ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 12.01 in W 13 in D 5.52 in
Art Nouveau Porcelain Group 'Hun On Horseback', by E. Hoesel, Meissen Germany
By Erich Hoesel, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Exquisite Large Meissen Art Nouveau Porcelain Group: Depiction of a mounted warrior, armed with shield and bow on his back, leaning from his horse to look down at a crowned skull.
Porcelain
Large Meissen Group of Figures Farmer with Oxen, Art Nouveau
Located in Berlin, DE
large antique Meissen (sword mark) group of figures farmer with oxen.
Porcelain
Meissen Bacchanal Faun Michel V. Acier Model D 63 made circa 1860
By Michel Victor Acier 1
Located in Vienna, AT
The subject of this meissen item belongs to the large meissen figurine groups of series of mythology.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Group of Dogs, circa 1860
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Gargrave, North Yorkshire
Fine and large Meissen porcelain group of dogs, circa 1860, after a model by Johann Joachim Kaendler.
Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain Group of Musicians, C. 1870
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Gargrave, North Yorkshire
A fine and large Meissen porcelain group, c. 1870. The group modelled as figures in 18th Century costume, comprising a young man pours a glass of wine for a girl, whilst he holds a v...
Porcelain
Sold
H 11 in W 8 in D 8 in
Large Meissen Figural Group of Gardeners That Are in Love Gathering Flowers
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Boston, MA
This is a wonderful large Meissen figurine of gardeners who are in love. He has a shovel and she has a watering can. They are in their garden picking flowers, and putting them into t...
Porcelain
$1,675
H 20.87 in W 17.33 in D 11.42 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Cuckoo Clock with Stag Head on Top
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Large Antique Black Forest Carved Cuckoo Clock with Stag Head A large handcarved wooden cuckoo clock, decorated with hunting accessoires, oak leaves, hare, pheasant and a stag head ...
Wood
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
$2,504Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.82 in W 13 in D 8.67 in
Porcelain Group, "The noble rococo game of chess", German Manufacturer
Located in Berlin, DE
Large, decorative porcelain group, "The noble game of chess". German porcelain manufacturer. Undamaged.
Porcelain
"Still Life" by Cornelis Le Mair 31 x 24 inch Oil on Board
By Cornelis Le Mair
Located in Atlanta, GA
Item is in excellent condition and has only been displayed in a gallery setting. Item includes frame; framed dimensions are approximately 31 x 38 inches. Cornelis le Mair is truly ...
Oil, Board
$17,624Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.67 in W 50.01 in D 1.97 in
17th Century by Felice Torelli Hagar and the Angel Oil on Canvas
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Felice Torelli (Verona, Italy, 1667 - Bologna, Italy, 1748) Title: Hagar and the Angel Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 41 x 116 cm - with frame 52.5 x 127 cm Origina...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil
$15,000
H 13.19 in W 6.7 in D 5.52 in
Magnificent Large Vanadinite Table top, Decorative Sculpture object
Located in London, GB
An exceptional large specimen of vanadinite from Morocco, covered entirely with brilliant, deep red crystals of varying sizes. The crystals are densely packed together, forming a con...
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Quartz
Fabergé Silver Service
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary 128-piece service by Fabergé is a rare treasure in more ways than one. Enclosed in its original oak chest, the exquisite service remains complete and in pristine c...
Silver
$3,200 / set
H 1 in Dm 9 in
12 Minton England Antique Custom Cobalt Blue Raised Gold Salad or Dessert Plates
By Minton
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
From the storied Gilded Age firm of Minton, England we have 12 elegant cobalt blue with raised gilding plates that were custom ordered through the retailer Davis, Collamore and Compa...
Gold, Enamel
$239,000
H 55 in W 174 in D 62 in
Jaguar XK 120 Roadster 1950, Rare Collection Car, A+ Condition incl. Expert Op.
By Jaguar Cars Ltd.
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
We offer you the chance of buying this breathtaking, rare Jaguar XK 120 which had its first road legal in february 1950. There has been built only a very little number of these cars,...
Metal
Fabergé Silver Flatware Service
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional 77-piece complete service by Fabergé is a rare treasure from the world-renowned firm. Enclosed in its original oak chest, the exquisite service remains complete and ...
Silver
$4,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 3 in W 4 in D 10 in
A 130 Piece Set of Crown Staffordshire China "Birds of Paradise" Pattern 1950"s
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A rare collection of about 130 pieces of Staffordshire-England - Crown Fine Bone China - Birds of Paradise Pattern - #592627 - white and very light blue grey background with purple...
Porcelain
Extensive Augarten Porcelain Dinner, Coffee and Tea Service, circa 1935
Located in New York, NY
Special commission from the factory for the Brucknerstift St. Florian, a seminary located on the outskirts of Vienna. Blue crowned Bindenshield and Wien Mark, iron-red printed hash m...
Porcelain
Pair of 19th Century Limoges Monvoisin Porcelain Figurines
Located in Dallas, TX
Presenting a stunning pair of mid to late 19th century French Limoges Bisque porcelain figurines from circa 1870. One is of a lady in period dress/attire cradling a Dove. All hand-...
Porcelain, Paint
$5,500 / set
H 2 in W 7.25 in D 10 in
English Minton Porcelain Tableware Dinner Service / Twelve People
By Minton
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Minton hand painted and decorated porcelain dinner service for twelve people. Made in England between 1948 -1970 "with impressed marks "Minton / china / 2-65" and pattern numbers in...
Gold
Large Rococo Style Porcelain Chandelier by Meissen
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Large Rococo style porcelain chandelier by Meissen German, late 19th Century Height 118cm, diameter 97cm This magnificent chandelier is an exceptional example of the Rococo styl...
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
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.