La fábrica de porcelana de Meissen, fundada en 1710 cerca de Dresde (Alemania), fue la primera fábrica europea en producir auténtica porcelana de pasta dura. Creada bajo el patrocinio de Augusto el Fuerte, elector de Sajonia, Meissen transformó la cerámica europea al poner fin a la dependencia de la porcelana china importada. El gran avance se produjo gracias a los experimentos de Johann Friedrich Böttger, un alquimista, y Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, un científico, cuyo trabajo desveló la fórmula para obtener una porcelana de pasta dura duradera y de alta calidad. El éxito de Böttger condujo directamente a la creación de la fábrica de Meissen, de la que se convirtió en su primer director.
Desde sus inicios, Meissen combinó la innovación técnica con la excelencia artística. El escultor Johann Joachim Kändler elevó el nivel de la producción de la fábrica con obras maestras del rococó, entre ellas el famoso «Servicio de los Cisnes» (1737-1742), que demostró la maestría de Meissen en la creación de figuritas, la pintura sobre esmalte y el diseño naturalista. A lo largo de los siglos XVIII, XIX y XX, Meissen adoptó estilos en constante evolución, desde el neoclasicismo hasta el Art Nouveau, al tiempo que conservaba su tradición de artesanía pintada a mano.
La porcelana de Meissen se reconoce fácilmente por la marca de las espadas cruzadas, introducida en 1720, una de las marcas registradas e es más antiguas del mundo. Todavía se produce en Meissen, Sajonia, y sigue siendo muy codiciada por coleccionistas, museos y conocedores de las artes decorativas europeas. Hoy en día, Meissen es un ejemplo de siglos de innovación, maestría técnica y refinamiento artístico, lo que consolida su lugar como símbolo de lujo y del patrimonio de la porcelana alemana.
A MEISSEN PORCELAIN COMPOSITE BLUE AND WHITE ONION PATTERN PART DINNER, TEA AND COFFEE-SERVICE
19TH AND 20TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, PRESSNUMMERN, INCISED AND PAINTED NUMERALS, A FEW PIECES WITH CANCELLATION MARKS
A MEISSEN ARMORIAL RETICULATED BOX AND COVER (DRÜSELKÄTSCHEN)
LATE 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, PRESSNUMMER AND INCISED NUMERALS
AN ORMOLU-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN PASTORAL GROUP
POSSIBLY CIRCA 1755-60, POSSIBLY 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK AND PRESSNUMMER 143
TWO MEISSEN PORCELAIN 'SCHNEEBALLEN' FLARED BEAKER-VASES
MID-18TH CENTURY, FAINT BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS
A GILT-METAL-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN SNUFF-BOX AND COVER
CIRCA 1750-55, THE MOUNTS CONTEMPORARY WITH THE PORCELAIN
TWO GILT-METAL-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF PUGS
THE FEMALE CIRCA 1745, THE MALE 19TH CENTURY, THE MOUNTS 19TH CENTURY
A MEISSEN FIGURE OF A SINGING MINER WITH A LUTE ( BERGSÄNGER MIT LAUTE )
CIRCA 1750, UNDERGLAZE BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK TO BACK OF BASE
A PAIR OF MEISSEN LARGE MODELS OF PARROTS
LATE 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, PRESSNUMERN AND INCISED MODEL NUMBER B 43 TO ONE AND A 43 TO THE OTHER
A MATCHED PAIR OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN FRUIT AND FLOWER-ENCRUSTED VASES
LATE 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, INCISED NUMERALS AND PRESSNUMMERN, ONE WITH INCISED LINE ABOVE THE SWORDS MARK
A GROUP OF TEN MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF BIRDS
19TH AND 20TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, VARIOUS IMPRESSED AND INCISED NUMERALS
A MEISSEN WHITE MODEL OF A GREAT BUSTARD (OTIS TARDA)
1732, ATTRIBUTED TO JOHANN GOTTLIEB KIRCHNER, INCISED INITIALS AS TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BEAK FOR ANDREAS SCHIEFER
A MEISSEN PORCELAIN FIVE-VASE GARNITURE
CIRCA 1738, EACH BASE WITH A BLUE CROSSED SWORD MARK AND PRESSNUMMER 21, LIKELY PAINTED BY J.E. STADLER
A PAIR OF ROYAL MEISSEN PORCELAIN YELLOW-GROUND BEAKER-VASES MADE FOR SCHLOSS HUBERTUSBURG, THE HUNTING LODGE OF AUGUSTUS III
CIRCA 1739, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS AND DREHER'S MARKS
A MONUMENTAL LOUIS XV ORMOLU AND MEISSEN AND FRENCH PORCELAIN CLOCK
CIRCA 1750, THE PORCELAIN FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO J.J. KÄNDLER, THE FLOWERS VINCENNES AND SEVRES PORCELAIN, MOST SOFT PASTE; THE CLOCK MOVEMENT BY EDME-JEAN CAUSARD, PARIS
A MEISSEN (AUGUSTUS REX) PORCELAIN ROYAL ARMORIAL PART TEA AND CHOCOLATE-SERVICE
1725, BLUE AR MARKS AND VARIOUS DREHERS' MARKS, PAINTED BY J.G. HÖROLDT
A MEISSEN SILVER-GILT-MOUNTED CHINOISERIE TANKARD AND COVER
CIRCA 1725, THE MOUNTS 18TH CENTURY
A PAIR OF LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF MAGPIES
THE PORCELAIN CIRCA 1740, MODELED BY J.J. KÄNDLER, THE ORMOLU MID-18TH CENTURY AND ASSOCIATED
A MEISSEN FIGURE OF THE 'GREETING HARLEQUIN'
CIRCA 1740, MODELED BY J.J. KANDLER
A PAIR OF LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF ROLLERS
CIRCA 1740, MODELED BY J.J. KÄNDLER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF J.G. EHDER, THE ORMOLU MOUNTS MID-18TH CENTURY
A MEISSEN GROUP OF 'THE HAND KISS'
CIRCA 1737
A MEISSEN GROUP OF 'THE MOCKERY OF AGE'
CIRCA 1740, INDISTINCT BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS TO BASE
A MEISSEN ARMORIAL OVAL MONTEITH FROM THE SWAN SERVICE
CIRCA 1740, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, PRESSNUMMER 28
A MEISSEN GROUP OF HARLEQUIN AND COLUMBINE
CIRCA 1740
A LARGE MEISSEN PORCELAIN PLATINUM AND FAUX TORTOISHELL CAMPANA VASE
CIRCA 1870, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, INCISED MODEL NO. G 174, PRESSNUMMER 19
A MEISSEN ARMORIAL OVAL MONTEITH FROM THE SWAN SERVICE
CIRCA 1740, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, PRESSNUMMER 28
A GARNITURE OF FIVE MEISSEN PORCELAIN HEXAGONAL VASES AND COVERS
THE PORCELAIN CIRCA 1725-28, THE DECORATION CIRCA 1740, BLUE CADUCEUS MARKS TO THE BALUSTER VASES, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS TO THE BEAKER VASES, THE COVER OF THE CENTRAL VASE A LATER REPLACEMENT
A MEISSEN (AUGUSTUS REX) BLUE AND WHITE CHINOISERIE BALUSTER VASE AND COVER
CIRCA 1725, BLUE AR MONOGRAM MARK, 310 INVENTORY NUMBER
A PAIR OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN (AUGUSTUS REX) KAKIEMON HEXAGONAL VASES AND COVERS
CIRCA 1730, UNDERGLAZE BLUE AR MARKS AND INCISED MARKS
GRAND ELEPHANT EN PORCELAINE DE MEISSEN DU XVIIIE SIECLE
MARQUE EN BLEU AUX DEUX EPEES CROISEES
A LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN MANTEL CLOCK
MID-18TH CENTURY, THE MEISSEN PORCELAIN CIRCA 1740, FOUR PRESSNUMMERN 48 TO UNDERSIDE OF BASE, THE CONTINENTAL PORCELAIN FLOWERS 18TH CENTURY AND LATER, THE MOVEMENT BY TAYOT, PARIS
FOUR MONUMENTAL MEISSEN PORCELAIN FRUIT AND FLOWER ENCRUSTED VASES AND COVERS
19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, INCISED MODEL NOS. 1065 TO WINTER AND 1179 TO FALL, BOTH WITH INCISED 50
A MEISSEN SILVER-GILT-MOUNTED SNUFF-BOX
CIRCA 1737, THE MOUNTS PROBABLY CONTEMPORARY
A BÖTTGER WHITE PORCELAIN VASE AND COVER
CIRCA 1715
TWO MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF JAYS
CIRCA 1740, FAINT BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, MODELED BY J. J. KÄNDLER
A MEISSEN PORCELAIN FIGURE GROUP OF FRÖLICH AND SCHMIEDEL
DATED 1742, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, MODELED BY J.J. KÄNDLER
A LARGE MEISSEN PORCELAIN BLUE-GROUND MYTHOLOGICAL 'LIMOGES ENAMEL' CAMPANA VASE
CIRCA 1860, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, PRESSNUMMER 8 AND INDISTINGUISHABLE INCISED LETTERS AND NUMERALS
A MEISSEN CHINOISERIE PART TEA AND CHOCOLATE SERVICE
CIRCA 1738-40, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, GILDER'S 37. TO ALL PIECES, SOME PIECES WITH DREHER'S MARKS, SOME WITH PRESSNUMMERN , THE MOUNTS LATER
A MEISSEN (K.P.M.) PORCELAIN TEAPOT AND COVER
CIRCA 1728, UNDERGLAZE BLUE K.P.M. MARK, BLUE ENAMEL CROSSED SWORDS MARK
A MEISSEN FIGURE OF HARLEQUIN TEASING A PUG
CIRCA 1740
A MEISSEN PORCELAIN GROUP OF THE IMPETUOUS LOVER
CIRCA 1740-45, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK AND PRESSNUMMER 45 TWICE
A BÖTTGER PORCELAIN TEAPOT AND COVER
CIRCA 1715-17, THE DECORATION CIRCA 1717, JOHANN GEORGE FUNCKE WORKSHOP, DRESDEN
A PAIR OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF GULLS
CIRCA 1753, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS TO THE BACK OF THE BASES, THE MODELS ATTRIBUTED TO J.J. KÄNDLER
A MEISSEN (AUGUSTUS REX) PORCELAIN BALUSTER VASE AND COVER
CIRCA 1730, BLUE UNDERGLAZE AR MARK, INCISED X, PROBABLY PAINTED BY J.E. STADLER
A BÖTTGER FIGURE OF A FARMER'S WIFE
CIRCA 1715-20, LUSTRE B: MARK TO UNDERSIDE OF HOLLOW BASE
A SILVER-GILT-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN CHINOISERIE TANKARD
CIRCA 1722-1723, THE PAINTING POSSIBLY BY J.G. HÖROLDT
A PAIR OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN SCHNEEBALLEN EWERS
LATE 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK WITH AN INCISION BELOW TO EACH, INCISED MODEL NO. 320 AND 59