The Meissen Porcelain is a world-renowned production of porcelain only made in Germany.
With 300 years of history, in which friedrich Böttger first announcing this white gold for the Saxony King, however first being produced by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus.
In truth it’s the first European china that is still in production till this day as the “Staatliche Porzellan- Manufakftur Meissen ( Manufactur )
Its signature logo, the crossed swords, was introduced in 1720 to protect its production; the mark of the crossed swords is one of the oldest trademark in existence, which dominated the style of European porcelain until 1756.
In order to identify the original Meissen products, Meissen developed markings that initially were painted on, but were soon fired in underglaze blue. Early markings such as AR (Augustus Rex, the monogram of the King), K.P.M. (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur), M.P.M. (Meissener Porzellan-Manufaktur), and K.P.F. (“Königliche Porzellan-Fabrik) were eventually replaced by the crossed swords logo. The “crossed swords” logo allows approximate dating of the wares.
The rarity and expense of Meissen porcelain meant that originally it could only be bought by the upper classes.
Meissen took orders from the elites of Russia, France, England and other European countries. The European wealthy accumulated vast collections and when a wealthy class emerged in the United States people started their own collections. Many of these collections then found their way into the world’s great museums.
Where as in Dresden Germany you can still visit and see the white jewel at the State Museum.
At the beginning, the Meissen manufactory was owned by the King of Saxony, by 1830 it came to belong to the State of Saxony. After World War II, most of the equipment was sent to the Soviet Union as part of war reparations.
The company became a Soviet Joint Stock Company in Germany. Almost all of the production was sent to the Soviet Union, a crucial step that kept the artisan community alive. After the establishment of the German Democratic Republic, the company was handed over to German ownership in 1950 and became people owned company Meissen Porzellan turned out to be one of the few profitable companies in the economically troubled East German system, earning much needed foreign currency. After the German reunification in 1990, the company was restored to the State of Saxony, which is the sole owner. While its products are expensive, ( Teuer ) the high quality ( Hohe qualität ) and artistic value ( der wert ) make Meissen porcelain very desirable by collectors and connoisseurs.
Expensive- teuer
high quality- hohe qualität
Value- der wert
