Antiques – Europe’s White Gold… 300 Years of Meissen Porcelain

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the opening of the first European porcelain factory in Meissen, Germany in 1710.
The city of Meissen was founded in 929 A.D. as a fortress on the Elbe River in defense of the nearby Medieval Saxon capital of Dresden. Many centuries later, the city would become famous in its own right as the birthplace of European porcelain, the capital city of “white gold.”
Meissen porcelain is called “white gold,” because the man who discovered it, the alchemist Johann Boettger, was supposed to be producing gold from base metals for his master, Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.
The full story is laid out in the wonderful book, the Arcanum, by Janet Gleason (Warner), but the point we should remember is that Augustus was as overjoyed getting porcelain as he would have been getting gold. That’s how revered porcelain was in Europe at the time.
That porcelain would have come from China, where they were already making porcelain for over 2,000 year before the Meissen factory opened. The Japanese had been making it for about 1,000 years, but Japan was a closed society, so little porcelain from there would have found it’s way into Europe.
The artists at Meissen, however, would create a distinctly European-style porcelain, reflecting profoundly Western ideals of beauty, grace, elegance and proportion.
Last year we noted the 270 anniversary of the Meissen Blue Onion pattern, the factory’s popular stock-in-trade dinnerware. This year, however, we should turn our attention to those pieces that exemplify the Meissen factory’s high level of art and fine craftsmanship. These are the proud collector’s cabinet pieces that set the standard for all the best European wherever it was made.
Meissen pieces are marked with crossed swords in several variations, all of which have been copied.. It is best to purchase your first pieces from a reputable dealer who will guarantee authenticity. If you google “Meissen+marks,” you will find sites that will show you what the marks should look like.
Meissen is Europe’s finest hand painted porcelain. So, after a while, you will learn to know whether a piece is authentic by the quality of the ware and the artistry of the decoration.
Of course, you will want the more valuable older pieces when you can find them. Pieces marked “Germany” will have been made after 1891; those marked “Made in Germany” were made after 1921.
Christmas in July: It sounds like just a clever marketing slogan, but it’s really a smart idea. Get some holiday shopping done now, and free-up more time when you will need it in December. Antique shops are also treasure troves of traditional old ornaments and heirloom decorations. And remember, whether it’s gifts or decorations, if it has to be unique, it really should be antique.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of the August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions or appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.