Meissen Model of a Crouching Kitten, German, Modeled by Otto Jarl, 1903
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 3.75 in (9.53 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)
- Style:Rococo (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1910-1919
- Date of Manufacture:1910
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU919512517032
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: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Large Art Deco Meissen Porcelain Sculpture of a Polar Bear by Otto JarlBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA beautiful and very large Art Deco Meissen Porcelain sculpture of a polar bear by Otto Jarl, beautifully sculpted, hand engraved and hand-painted under the glaze. Jarl, Otto (1856-1...Category
Vintage 1910s German Other Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Fine Meissen Porcelain Figure of a Rabbit after a Model by J. J. KandlerBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA fine Meissen Porcelain rabbit figure, after a model by J.J. Kandler; with blue double-crossed swords underglaze mark including a blue dot between swords, Indicative of the Pfeiffer...Category
Vintage 1920s German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Unusual 19th Century Meissen Figure of a Camel after a Model by J. J. KandlerBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA unusual 19th century Meissen figure of a camel with blue under-glaze double crossed swords mark, after J.J. Kandler. Naturalistically modeled above a rocky outcrop on a scroll-mol...Category
Antique 1850s German Rococo Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Fine Pair of Meissen Porcelain Models of Eagles Resting on BranchesBy Meissen Porcelain, Johann Joachim KaendlerLocated in New York, NYA fine pair of Early 20th Century Meissen Porcelain models of eagles naturalistically resting on branches. Each Eagle can be seen with their wings spread wide out and their beaks ope...Category
20th Century German Rococo Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of Meissen Porcelain Models of Brown Fieldfare BirdsBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA pair of 20th century Meissen Porcelain models of brown fieldfare birds. Each is naturalistically modeled perched on a white tree stomp with ferns and flowers. They are truly beautiful and very collectable as Meissen porcelain birds...Category
Vintage 1920s German Louis XVI Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Fine Meissen Porcelain Model of a Silver Feathered PheasantBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New York, NYA Large and Fine Quality 20th Century Meissen Porcelain Model of a Silver Feathered Pheasant, Modeled by Max Bochmann in 1909/1910. This pheasant is beautifully hand-made and hand-pa...Category
20th Century German Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique German porcelain group of Venus with Cupid by MeissenBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBAntique German porcelain group of Venus with Cupid by Meissen German, c. 1750 Height 20.5cm, width 11cm, depth 12cm This charming Meissen porce...Category
Antique Mid-18th Century German Rococo Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Model of a "Gaukler Adler"By Meissen PorcelainLocated in Stamford, CTA Meissen model of a "Gaukler Adler" first modelled by Paul Walther in 1906.Category
Early 20th Century German Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Germany JJ Kaendler 19CenturyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMeissen Porcelain Germany JJ Kaendler Origin Germany Circa 1850 Design by J.J. Kaendler Porcelain material. hand made and painted rococo style Very good conditions. Natural wear due to the passage of time. Meissen porcelain (in German Meißner Porzellan...Category
Antique 1850s German Rococo Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Bird ModelBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBA Meissen porcelain bird model German, late 19th century Measures: height 15cm, width 15cm, depth 9cm This elegant miniature, of a ptarmigan or sim...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Belle Époque Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Mythological Group 'Thalia With Tree', by J.J. Kaendler, Germany, c 1900By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Vienna, ATVery rare Meissen group: Thalia, the muse of theater and comic poetry, covered only with a large cloth, smiling and sitting on a rock under a cherry tree, holding a mask next to her...Category
Antique Early 1900s German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Rococo Style Gardener Group, 'Apple Harvest', by Kaendler, Germany, 1850By Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Vienna, ATElaborately crafted porcelain group from the 19th century: A couple of gardeners and two boys harvesting apples, dressed in rural Rococo robes with fine decorations, a boy standing at the top end of the ladder leaning against the tree and picking apples, below them the gardener couple, the female catching them in her apron held high while the beau reaches an apple to her mouth, a boy sitting behind the tree and taking an apple from the full hat standing next to him on a tree stump. On a round meadow base with three-dimensional foliage and gold-heightened rocaille decoration. Designer: JOHANN JOACHIM KÄNDLER (1706 - 1775) was chief sculptor at the Meissen manufactory from 1742 to 1775. He is the most famous modeller Meissen manufactory ever had and created famous series such as Shepherd Figurines, Comedian's Children, Gardener Children (with Acier), Paris Town Criers (with Reinicke and Meyer) , Gallant Figurines, etc. Kaendler designed model 1755...Category
Antique 1850s German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain