$3,418 / 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
$4,007 / 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
$5,776 / 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
$11,198 / 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 Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set for 6 Persons: Meissen service, consisting of 23 pieces: 1 coffee pot
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
$10,491 / 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 Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen Coffee & Dessert Set for 6 Persons: Meissen service, consisting of 22 pieces: 1 coffee
Porcelain
$8,133 / 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
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
$5,186 / 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 Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 15 pieces: 1 coffee pot with lid, 1 milk jug, 1 sugar bowl, 6 cups
Porcelain
$18,492 / 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 Ludwig Zepner, Heinz Werner, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
. Manufactory: Meissen, Germany Hand-crafted porcelain, hand-painted, glossy finish, gilding Underglaze blue
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
$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
$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
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
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 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
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
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 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 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 & 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
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 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 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
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
Marcolini period is one of the heyday of the Meissen porcelain factory. dimensions: coffee pot + lid
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 & Tea Set For 8 Persons Cobalt Bouquet Painting & Gold Early 19th
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Early Meissen coffee or tea service, 21 pieces, consisting of coffee pot with lid with silver
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
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
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 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
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 Meissen Porcelain, Ernst August Leuteritz
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 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 Coffee & Dessert Set For 6 Persons 'Arabian Nights', Prof. Werner, 20th
By Ludwig Zepner, Heinz Werner, Meissen Porcelain
Located in Vienna, AT
Meissen service, consisting of 22 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 Cobalt & Lavish Gold Decor, 20th
By Ernst August Leuteritz, Meissen Porcelain
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 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
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 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
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
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, "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
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, 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
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 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 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 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
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 Meissen Porcelain, Johann Gregorius Höroldt
Located in Weinheim, DE
impressive appearance, these sets began to be manufactured out of porcelain, recently invented at the time
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
English Porcelain 'Jade' Pattern Service, Coalport, circa 1900
Located in New York, NY
Each decorated with cobalt, lime green, maroon and coral foliate motifs against a white ground. Comprising 12 dinner plates, 12 luncheon plates (one as is), 12 bread and butter plate...
Porcelain
$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
Monumental Silvered and Gilt-Bronze Glass Centerpiece of "Poseidon"
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
A Monumental French Silvered and Gilt-Bronze and Glass Centerpiece of "Poseidon", Paris, circa 1895. A very good quality centerpiece depicting "Poseidon and his seahorses", of mon...
Bronze
$3,504Sale Price / set|20% Off
Limoges Porcelain Dinner Set by F. Legrand & Cie - 68 Pieces
By L.F. Limoges
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite antique Limoges porcelain dinnerware set by F. Legrand & Cie showcases an exceptional polychrome and gold-accented design, embodying the timeless elegance of French cr...
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
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
Rosenthal porcelain dinner service "Maria", Germany 1966
By Rosenthal
Located in Delft, NL
Rosenthal porcelain dinner service "Maria", Germany 1966 A white porcelain dinner service set by Rosenthal, Germany Dated with the Rosenthal mark of 1966 The romantic set called " M...
Porcelain
$822Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 4.5 in W 7.25 in D 12 in
Antique La Porcelain Limousine Limoges France 48pc Porcelain China Set
By Martial Redon
Located in Dayton, OH
Exquisite antique 48 piece set of French La Porcelain Limousine Limoges porcelain dinnerware. Features a band of weaving blue flowering vines framing pink roses, with gilded gold tri...
Porcelain
$347,200
H 68 in W 55 in
A Magnificent Pair of French Royal Paintings "Aurora and Diana" "Night and Day"
Located in Queens, NY
Jacques-Francois Delyen (1684-1761), Court Painter of King Louis XV. A Magnificent Pair of Palatial "French Royal" Allegorical Paintings "Aurora and Diana" "Night and Day" A truly ...
Oil
Meissen Porcelain Dinnerware Service for 12 People
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Beautiful German Meissen dinnerware service for twelve people with serving pieces. The dinnerware service is in great condition. Just exquisite & very rare to find a complete service...
Gold
$174,000Sale Price|40% Off
H 136 in Dm 108 in
Exquisite Rotunda Structure Kiosk Copper & Carved Stone Bench Seating Columns
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Exquisite Rotunda Structure Kiosk Copper & Carved Stone Bench Seating Columns . Monumental Exquisite refined work King Charles X Period Rotunda rotundus building structure with a...
Stone, Copper
Wedgwood Porcelain Dinner Service for Twelve People
By Wedgwood & Co
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Wedgwood porcelain dinnerware with exterior / interior hand painted design detail service for twelve people with serving pieces. Each piece is in great condition. Maker's mark unders...
Porcelain, Paint
$140,445Sale Price|20% Off
H 12.01 in Dm 5.91 in
Rare and Important Mosaico vase Vetreria Artistica Barovier
By Ercole Barovier
Located in Zurich, CH
Rare and Important Mosaico vase Vetreria Artistica Barovier Italy, c. 1924 fused and blown polychrome glass murrine Signed Ercole Barovier 100% authentic, proven by the expert Gianc...
Murano Glass
Wedgwood Porcelain Dinner Service for Twelve People
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Wedgwood porcelain dinnerware with gilt gold design detail service for twelve people with serving pieces. Each piece is in great condition. Maker's mark undersigned. Set include 12 d...
Gold
Meissen Porcelain Sugar Bowls, Rococo Style, Germany, Circa 1760
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in Milano, IT
Pair of porcelain sugar bowls Meissen, circa 1748-1775 Marked with crossed swords and number “92” of the gilder They measure 5.11 in (13 cm) x 5.11 in (13 cm) in diameter lb 2.3 (kg ...
Porcelain
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
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.