Dresden Porcelain Collection, Porcelain museum in Zwinger Palace, Dresden, Germany
The Dresden Porcelain Museum sits within the Zwinger Palace and holds a large collection of ceramic works from China, Japan, and Europe gathered over centuries. The pieces range from delicate blue and white plates to large vases and show different styles and craft techniques from various regions and periods.
The collection was built in the early 18th century by Augustus the Strong, who had a passion for East Asian porcelain. This soon led to the founding of the famous Meissen factory, which produced Europe's first true porcelain.
The collection shows how craftspeople learned from the exchange between Asian and European techniques, visible in how Chinese and early Meissen pieces sit alongside each other. You can see directly how European makers admired Eastern forms and decoration and brought them into their own work.
The museum is housed in the Zwinger Palace buildings, meaning you have beautiful surroundings as you look around. It helps to plan your entry for the whole Zwinger site, since you can easily move between the different collections.
The museum displays life-sized animal sculptures including monkeys, lions, and peacocks set against walls covered with leather from the 18th century. These unusual animal figures were a sign of wealth and exotic taste among European rulers of the time.
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