Meissen porcelain, Porcelain manufacturing facility in Meissen, Germany
Meissen porcelain is made at a production facility in Meissen, Germany, where each item is crafted from kaolin, feldspar and quartz following traditional techniques. The pieces carry the crossed swords mark, which is hand-painted beneath the glaze.
Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and Johann Friedrich Böttger succeeded in creating hard-paste porcelain using European formulas in 1708, which led to the founding of the facility in 1710. King Augustus the Strong moved production to Albrechtsburg castle in Meissen that year to protect the manufacturing secret.
The facility introduced European decorative motifs that moved away from Chinese designs, establishing a new tradition in ceramic art. Many patterns and forms developed here became templates copied by workshops across the continent.
Guided tours take visitors through the production halls, where they can observe the steps from shaping to hand-painting. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as the route passes through several workshops.
Before white porcelain succeeded, a reddish-brown Böttger stoneware was developed, which is still made today as a separate product. This material is harder than ordinary ceramics and was originally created while the porcelain formula was being refined.
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