Antique Meissen Porcelain Tea Tray with Cobalt Blue Border & Spray Flowers
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.13 in (2.88 cm)Width: 17.75 in (45.09 cm)Depth: 12.5 in (31.75 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. There is some minor rubbing to the gilding around the rim and one of the handles. Otherwise, there are some very fine & light surface scratches and other signs of expected light wear consistent with age.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:
Meissen 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Pair Antique 18c Meissen Vergissmeinnicht Pattern Porcelain Plates with FlowersBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of antique Vergiss Meinnicht (Forget-me-not) pattern plates. By the Royal Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Decorated with Deutsche Blumen floral sprays to the center incl...Category
Antique 18th Century German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- 4 Antique Meissen Porcelain Footed Frauenkopf Salt Cellars with Puce FlowersBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA very fine set of 4 antique Meissen porcelain salt cellars. Modelled after salts originally designed for the Sulkowski service by Johann Frie...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique Early 19th Century Spode Porcelain Pattern Number 2408 Tea Cup & SaucerBy SpodeLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine antique Spode porcelain cup & saucer. Pattern no. 2408 Decorated throughout with a cobalt floral patttern and extensive gilding. Simply a great cup & saucer from Spod...Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair Antique 18C Meissen Porcelain Neuozier Marcolini Period Plates with FlowersBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of antique Neuozier pattern plates. By the Royal Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Decorated with Deutsche Blumen floral sprays to the center and sides including roses...Category
Antique Late 18th Century German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair Antique 18th C. Meissen Porcelain Dulong Variant Molded Plates with FlowersBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of antique Meissen Dulong Variant plates. By the Royal Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Decorated with Deutsche Blumen floral sprays to the center and sides including ros...Category
Antique 18th Century German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Early 19th Century Biedermeier Period Topographical Porcelain Cup and SaucerBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine antique German Biedermeier period topographical porcelain cup and saucer. The front decorated with a finely hand painted depiction o...Category
Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- 2 Antique Meissen German Porcelain Lidded Chocolate Tea Cups & Saucers on StandsBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Dayton, OH"Pair of exqusite antique 19th century Meissen porcelain demitasse chocolate cups with lids and saucers, decorated with pink and gold borders and landscapes with stone buildings. Both are beautifully displayed on wooden stands. Provenance : Jerome Schottenstein Estate, Columbus Ohio. Jerome was was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder of Schottenstein Stores Corp. The Schottenstein family were Lithuanian immigrants who began an extensive business empire in the late 19th Century. Schottenstein Stores owns stakes in DSW and American Signature Furniture...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Tea Sets
MaterialsPorcelain, Hardwood
- German Meissen 'Marcolini' Porcelain Tea and Coffee Service, circa 1790By Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYComprising coffee pot, tea pot, covered cream jug, covered sugar, ten tea cups, six coffee cups, 16 saucers.Category
Antique 1790s German Tea Sets
MaterialsPorcelain
- New Hall Porcelain Tea Service, Chinoiserie Flower Sprays, Georgian, circa 1795By New HallLocated in London, GBThis is a stunning tea service made by New Hall in circa 1795. The service is made of hybrid hard paste porcelain and decorated in a bold Chinoiserie pattern of large flower sprays. The service consists of a teapot with cover, a milk jug, a slop bowl, and six tea bowls with saucers. This service has provenance; it came from the collection of David Redstone, the well known porcelain expert who wrote leading books on Bow and Chelsea porcelain. The New Hall factory started as a cooperative of several Staffordshire potters making use of the porcelain license of Bristol Porcelain...Category
Antique 1790s English George III Tea Sets
MaterialsPorcelain
- Spode Porcelain Teacup Trio, Lavender Blue with Flower Sprays, Regency ca 1815By SpodeLocated in London, GBThis is a beautiful "true trio" consisting of a teacup, a coffee cup and a saucer, made by Spode in about 1815. It is decorated with pattern 2234 with a striking lavender or periwinkle blue border and finely painted flower sprays. In the late 18th and early 19th Century a "true trio" is how cups and saucers were sold; as you would never drink tea and coffee at the same time, why invest in an extra saucer? Josiah Spode was the great pioneer among the Georgian potters in England. Around the year 1800 he perfected the bone china recipe that has been used by everyone ever since, and he was also the leading potter behind the technique of transferware, making it possible for English potters to replace the import of Chinese china that had come to an end around that time, with their own. This was fundamental to a thriving industry that would last for about 150 years and provide half the world with their tableware. This set is made in the famous "London" shape, which was brought out by Spode in 1812 and was quickly copied by all other makers. It then remained the most popular shape for about 10 years. The set is potted in fine white porcelain - by the year 1810 Spode had perfected his recipe for bone china and it became beautifully smooth, white, thin and translucent. All three items are marked with the red hand painted SPODE mark and the pattern number 2234. CONDITION REPORT The set is in excellent antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing. There is some minimal wear as visible in the pictures...Category
Antique 1810s English Regency Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- 12 Pc Antique Meissen B-Form Teacups & Saucers Floral Crossed Sword Tea Set B154By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Dayton, OHTwelve piece set of antique Meissen China. Porcelain, blue swords marks 1st and 2nd choice, form number B-154, B-form purple with scattered flowe...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Baroque Tea Sets
MaterialsPorcelain
- Samuel Alcock Porcelain Teacup, White with Flower Sprays, ca 1823By Samuel Alcock & Co.Located in London, GBA teacup and saucer in the “half orange” shape, white with simple gilt rim and beautiful hand painted flower sprays Pattern unknown but similar to 1082 Year: ca 1823 Size: cup diameter 10cm (4”), saucer diameter 14.2cm (5.5”) Condition: excellent, some rubbing to gilt There are several items available in this design, please see group image and ask for more info if interested. The Samuel Alcock factory was operative in Staffordshire between 1822 and 1856, after which it was bought by Sir James Duke and Nephews. The factory started as a partnership between the young Samuel Alcock and the older Ralph Stevenson, who provided the factory and capital. Alcock quickly took the factory to great heights, building one of the biggest factories of its time. Alcock jumped on the new Rococo Revival fashion and served a huge new middle class market. The reason we now don't hear much about Samuel Alcock porcelain...Category
Antique 1820s English Regency Tea Sets
MaterialsPorcelain