La Porcellana di Meissen, fondata nel 1710 nei pressi di Dresda, in Germania, fu la prima manifattura europea a produrre vera porcellana a pasta dura. Fondata sotto il patrocinio di Augusto il Forte, principe elettore di Sassonia, Meissen rivoluzionò la ceramica europea ponendo fine alla dipendenza dalla porcellana cinese importata. La svolta avvenne grazie agli esperimenti di Johann Friedrich Böttger, un alchimista, e di Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, uno scienziato, il cui lavoro permise di scoprire la formula per una porcellana a pasta dura resistente e di alta qualità. Il successo di Böttger portò direttamente alla creazione della manifattura di Meissen, di cui divenne il primo direttore.
Fin dalla sua nascita, Meissen ha saputo coniugare innovazione tecnica ed eccellenza artistica. Lo scultore Johann Joachim Kändler elevò la produzione della manifattura con capolavori rococò, tra cui il famoso Servizio dei Cigni (1737–1742), dimostrando la maestria di Meissen nella realizzazione di statuette, nella pittura su smalto e nel design naturalistico. Nel corso del XVIII, XIX e XX secolo, Meissen ha abbracciato stili in continua evoluzione, dal neoclassicismo all’Art Nouveau, preservando al contempo la propria tradizione di lavorazione artigianale dipinta a mano.
La porcellana di Meissen è facilmente riconoscibile grazie al marchio delle spade incrociate, introdotto nel 1720, uno dei marchi d i più antichi al mondo. Ancora oggi prodotta a Meissen, in Sassonia, rimane molto ricercata da collezionisti, musei e intenditori delle arti decorative europee. Oggi, Meissen incarna secoli di innovazione, maestria tecnica e raffinatezza artistica, consolidando il proprio ruolo di simbolo del lusso e del patrimonio della porcellana tedesca.
IMPORTANTE PARTIE DE SERVICE EN PORCELAINE
MANUFACTURE DE MEISSEIN, FIN DU XIXE SIÈCLE-DÉBUT DU XXE SIÈCLE
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
A MEISSEN GROUP OF THE 'MARCHAND DE COEURS'
CIRCA 1740
A MEISSEN DATED PORTRAIT FIGURE OF HOFNARR FRÖHLICH
1738, INCISED 3
A MEISSEN PIERCED FLASCHENSTÄNDER FROM THE 'SWAN SERVICE'
1741-42, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARK, PRESSNUMMER 26
A PAIR OF LARGE MEISSEN PORCELAIN PALE-BLUE-GROUND PATE-SUR-PATE VASES
LATE 19TH CENTURY, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS, FAINT INCISED MODEL NO. O. 160, PRESSNUMMER 20 TO EACH
A PAIR OF MEISSEN PORCELAIN MODELS OF GOLDEN ORIOLES
CIRCA 1750, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS TO BOTH, MODELED BY J.J. KÄNDLER
A LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED MEISSEN PORCELAIN AQUATIC GROUP
THE PORCELAIN CIRCA 1741, THE ORMOLU ATTRIBUTED TO JACQUES CAFFIERI CIRCA 1760
A BÖTTGER BLACK-GLAZED RED STONEWARE SAKI EWER OR KENDI
CIRCA 1710-13, INDISTINCT JAPANESE PALACE BLACK INVENTORY NUMBER 64. P.