19th Century Porcelain Box with Fighting Scene by Meissen
View Similar Items
19th Century Porcelain Box with Fighting Scene by Meissen
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 5.75 in (14.61 cm)Width: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)Depth: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
- Style:Neoclassical (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1870
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:Seller: 29-24731stDibs: LU89119990143
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.
- Meissen Rococo Porcelain BoxBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New Orleans, LAIncredible hand-painted scenes inspired by Rococo master Antoine Watteau cover this magnificent Meissen porcelain box. Displaying romantic courts...Category
Antique 18th Century German Rococo Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century Swiss Gold Musical VinaigretteLocated in New Orleans, LAThis early 19th century Swiss gold vinaigrette has the charming addition of a musical mechanism. The entire box is crafted of 14-karat yellow gold envelo...Category
Antique 19th Century Swiss Neoclassical Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold, Enamel
- German Porcelain Snuff BoxLocated in New Orleans, LAThis important German porcelain snuff box exhibits delightful artistry and craftsmanship. Hand painted classical tableau celebrating the e...Category
Antique 18th Century German Neoclassical Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
$12,500 - Mother of Pearl Vinaigrette, 19th CenturyLocated in New Orleans, LAThis delightful gold and mother of pearl vinaigrette is ripe with 19th-century charm. Emblazoned with the initials "E.L" for its original owner, the book-shaped vinaigrette almost ce...Category
Antique 19th Century French Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold
- German Porcelain BoxLocated in New Orleans, LAThis important German porcelain box exhibits delightful artistry and craftsmanship. Its hand-painted wild game scene celebrates the natural world,...Category
Antique 18th Century German Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold, Bronze
$3,950 - Sèvres Porcelain And Bronze BoxLocated in New Orleans, LASeven resplendent Sèvres porcelain plaques surround this magnificent doré bronze box. The bright floral motif on the plaques perfectly matches the intr...Category
Antique 19th Century French Decorative Boxes
MaterialsBronze
- 19th Century Meissen Porcelain CasketBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Brighton, SussexI very good quality 19th century Meissen porcelain lidded casket. It features a gladiatorial scene with the Emperor and Empress on the...Category
Antique 19th Century German Neoclassical Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Important 18th Century Porcelain and Bronze Box by MeissenBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Swedesboro, NJDimensions - H: 1 3/4in W: 3 1/2in D: 2in This Mid 18th Century Porcelain and Bronze Box by Meissen is truly a spectacular piece and is of the highest quality! If you look at the p...Category
Antique Late 18th Century German Rococo Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsBronze, Ormolu
- Romantic French 19th Century Bellows Shaped Porcelain Box with Courtship SceneLocated in Tustin, CAExquisite antique French box, from the 1890s, is a handmade and hand painted miniature porcelain box with hinged lid and is shaped like a fire bellows. Th...Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Romantic Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain and Glass Oval Box, 19th CenturyLocated in Madrid, ESSmall oval box with etched glass base and lid hinge closure made, the latter combining enamel and metal. The bottom has a bucolic landscape with a series of h...Category
Antique 19th Century European Neoclassical Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain, Glass
- Meissen Porcelain Black 'Ming Dragon' Covered BoxBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in West Palm Beach, FLMeissen Porcelain Black 'Ming Dragon' Covered Box Germany, Post WWII 20th Century, Two Slash Canceled Blue Crossed Swords Mark A fine Meissen Porcelain Black 'Ming Dragon' Covered Box, made in post-World War II Germany...Category
20th Century German Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century French Sevres Porcelain BoxLocated in Los Angeles, CA19th century French Sevres Porcelain box.Category
Antique 19th Century French Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Wear Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Genius on Your Finger with This Vivid Ring
In his jewelry making, the designer rarely used diamonds — this rare example has two.
You Won’t Find a More Handsome Stopwatch Than This 1890s Pocket Chronograph
A Grand Complication from the golden era of pocket watches, the Marius Lecoultre pocket watch does everything but uncork your wine.