The manner in which porcelain symbolizes the consolidation of art and workmanship-perfection is simply fascinating. Porcelain was first created in the Chinese empire around the year 620. From the 13th century onwards, porcelain established itself among the royal courts of Europe. In order to circumvent the enormous cost of importing porcelain, an enormous Europe wide effort was made to discover the secret behind porcelain production.
After numerous failed attempts, success finally arrived in 1708 when the process was recreated in Dresden. The methodology was subsequently perfected in the neighbouring town of Meißen. In the following decades, numerous factories sprang up all over Europe, which contributed to the continued development of porcelain art. To this day, top quality can only be guaranteed through meticulous workmanship, which requires immense patience, experience and the production of self-produced porcelain mass and colours.
Meissen
Since its founding in 1710, the crossed swords of the Meissen brand have stood for accomplished porcelain manufacture for over 300 years. Furthermore, this symbol is the oldest manufacturer’s brand still in use today. Meissen porcelain has a global reputation for the finest quality and craftsmanship perfection. The manufacture relies on its own mine to supply the raw materials it requires and trains all of its own porcelain painters and craftsmen over several years. All this results in porcelain whose quality and artistic value enjoys the greatest of reputations.
KPM
Frederick the Great founded the ‘Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur’ in 1763, which went on to establish Prussia as a ‘white gold’ producing powerhouse. The factory has been headquartered at the Berlin Tiergarten since 1871, at which time they specialized in the production of their famous porcelain tiles. Despite the destruction of the factory during the Second World War, KPM has re-established itself among the most renowned porcelain manufacturers in the world, and its name represents nothing less than top shelf porcelain craft. Alongside KPM and Meissen, we also offer porcelain from other prominent manufacturers such as Herend and Nymphenburg.
Quality, versatility and style
Porcelain wares hailing from the biggest factories are presented at world expositions and have graced the tables of many European royal courts. Nevertheless, porcelain is much more than fine crockery. Porcelain craft relies on the very best craftsmanship, which, with the help of designers and artists, results in exquisitely beautiful and accomplished items.
Merely producing optimal porcelain mass is a highly elaborate process which requires years of experience. In the production of top class porcelain, the casting, drying and assembly process, along with fine detail modelling, is carried out entirely by hand. Finally, the porcelain is painted free-hand and the gold decorations are polished. All paints are individually produced from a factory’s own pigments. The glazing and colours combine during the firing process, creating an unparalleled shine. All these steps result in porcelain masterpieces, which bring delight in the shape of fine table services, exclusive decorations and highly desired collector’s items.