Meissen is the oldest porcelain manufacturer in Europe and some of the earliest pieces, which would have been made for European royalty, will be sold for very large sums. If you’re interested in Meissen, there are pieces for the collector on a more modest budget.
In the early 17th century, fine china was worth a lot of money, as European manufacturers had not yet figured out how to make it. The King of Saxony, Augustus the Strong, was very captivated and built a Japanese-style palace to house his collection. Since the king had spent a lot of money on this, he needed to replenish the coffers and had heard of an alchemist named John Böttger who claimed that he could turn metal into gold. Bad mistake, the king imprisoned him and asked him to do just that. Böttger was a quick thinker and offered to make “white gold”, as fine white porcelain was called. By 1710, Böttger had managed to decipher the formula and Augustus built a new factory in Meissen. Three years later, the first white hard-paste porcelain manufactured in Europe went on sale.
Initially they made teapots, cups and Buddha figures, copied from Chinese and Japanese porcelain. Since European porcelain was expensive to make, the decoration had to be impressive. An employed painter in Meissen, JG Hörold, invented Chinoiserie decoration that was more exotic than its Chinese counterpart. He also painted tea sets with garden flowers, birds and landscapes, more familiar to the European client.
In 1730, JJ Kändler began making porcelain figurines to decorate the banquet tables of large houses and palaces. He was a brilliant sculptor and was able to make realistic figures of Chinese gods, as well as ladies in crinoline dresses. At his dining room table he would often have a group of porcelain cows and sheep, as well as more exotic animals.
People often wonder why there is so much fuss about Meissen porcelain – it is the workmanship and decoration that make it stand out. Clay is very difficult to work with and collectors really appreciate the skill of the maker and decorator. What collectors often fail to appreciate are the conditions in which the porcelain was made. The workers were kept as virtual prisoners and were not allowed to stray outside the old castle walls that surrounded the factory. They were paid very low wages and many workers only thought of escaping and conspired to take away valuable secrets. Some made it out and helped establish rival factories throughout Germany. Meissen was captured by Prussian invaders during the Seven Years’ War (1756-63) and they lost almost everything.
In the latter part of the 18th century, Meissen had competition from both French and English manufacturers, but they grew rapidly in the 19th century and became extremely popular in Britain. A whole section of the factory concentrated on making porcelain to the ‘English taste’ and they couldn’t do it fast enough, they were sold by the thousands.
Meissen introduced its brand of crossed swords in 1723 to prevent other manufacturers from selling their inferior porcelain as Meissen. The brand was widely copied and even large factories such as Minton, Derby and Coalport used the crossed swords on pieces they sold as ‘English Dresden’. After long legal battles, crossed swords are now a protected trademark. However, there are many counterfeits and you should only buy them from a reputable dealer or auctioneer.
As we entered the 20th century, the traditional Meissen style lost some of its appeal and during the art nouveau and art deco periods they began to make modern patterns and figures. They only made a small number of figures and they are rare and expensive. Meissen is still decorated by hand, which drives up the price. If you are interested in collecting it, you can occasionally buy a pretty flower-painted cup and saucer for between £ 200 and £ 300. If you like 19th century cabinet pieces, they can cost between £ 500 and £ 3,000. While 18th century blue and white porcelain is rare, it is inexpensive and you can get it for around £ 150. You may also want to look for post-war productions of white porcelain or red stoneware made in the 1950s and 1960s and They cost between £ 40 and £ 400.
Make sure that your Meissen porcelain piece is in perfect condition and always examine it for cracks. This is less important with Meissen figures, where damage or repair does not detract much in value, you should avoid pieces with a broken neck or missing limbs. As always, a piece in perfect condition will always be worth more.