Dresden Porcelain — White Gold From Saxony

August the Solid, Prince Elector of Saxony, was captivated. In 1701, he got a letter from a boy named Johann Friedrich Böttger who was an alchemist as well as had actually been detained in Wittenberg, a community outside August’s world. Böttger declared that he could transform base steels right into gold. If there was something August enjoyed more than ladies (rumor has it that he fathered concerning 300 illegitimate youngsters), it was gold.

The art-loving leader collected stacks of treasure during his life time some of which can still be seen in the Eco-friendly Safe in Dresden. The lure to have his own gold-maker was irresistible: after a brief disagreement with the Prussian king that likewise had his eye on Böttger, August discreetly moved Böttger to Dresden where he was purely secured and in fact locked up so he would certainly not leave as well as take his secret understanding about gold-making with him.

This took place for years. Böttger failed to make gold, always asserting that he was “virtually there”. In 1704, he was coupled with Walther von Tschirnhaus, another alchemist in August’s “guardianship” who had initially been on a search for the “thinker’s rock” on August’s demand yet had actually relied on trying out substances to make porcelain. Böttger never succeeded in making gold and Tschirnhaus never ever located the theorist’s stone. Yet with each other they established the formula how to make “white gold” — tough paste porcelain.

Tschirnhaus did not live to the tremendous success of their creation. He died in 1708, 2 years before the delighted August the Strong established the very first European porcelain manufacturing facility in Meissen in 1710. Böttger was lastly approved his flexibility in 1714 under the problem that he would not leave the country nor share the secret concerning porcelain-making with anybody. Oh, and also ultimately, make gold … He died in 1719, being just 37 years of ages. Porcelain became the pride and also a treasured export of Saxony, supplying work to lots of people as well as drawing great artists to Saxony to work in the market.

There is a lot of confusion concerning “Meissen porcelain” as well as “Dresden porcelain” as they are usually used reciprocally in the English-speaking nations. The error is easy to understand when you know that Meissen as well as Dresden are only about 16 miles apart. Meissen is the area of the very first porcelain manufacturing facility established by August the Strong, yet he stayed in Dresden and his porcelain, characterized by the blue cross-swords stamp, was rather associated with this city, as the much of it was marketed below.

But in fact, “Meissen porcelain” and also “Dresden porcelain” are 2 extremely different points. I don’t suggest to minor the terrific craftmanship and art of the Meissen porcelain. Its superb track record around the globe is just as well as besides, it is the earliest porcelain manufacturing facility in Europe. But you discover it anywhere, new and also old, passed on, auctioned off on eBay … Dresden porcelain on the other hand, is not that common. You can find it on eBay, however it is still something not everyone has, something for the porcelain connoisseur.

So, what is “Dresden porcelain”?

Carl-Johann Thieme was a competent porcelain painter who possessed a little porcelain and antique shop in the facility of Dresden. In 1872 he decided to follow his most significant dream and also generate his own porcelain. He discovered an appropriate area for his venture in the industrial district Potschappel just outside Dresden as well as the “Sächsische Porzellan-Fabrik Carl Thieme zu Potschappel” opened in September 1872.

The manufacturing facility thrived initially and also this success was greatly because of porcelain modeler Carl August Kuntzsch that likewise happened to be Thieme’s own child in regulation. Kuntzsch created a floral décor that would certainly end up being an unique trademark of Dresden porcelain and became the factory’s director after Thieme’s death in 1912. The world battles affected the manufacturing facility rather greatly as exports gave in and useful workers left or were killed in the battles, however the manufacturing facility endured only to be expropriated detailed by the GDR federal government. Outside socialist East Germany, the lovely porcelain was quite prominent, as well as the 180 employees generally generated pieces for export to West Germany and the rest of Western Europe.

Complying with the German re-unification, the Dresden porcelain factory experienced stormy times. From a “people-owned socialist” enterprise it entered into the hands of a depend on up until it was acquired by French financiers that went bankrupt not long afterwards. It went through the hands of a number of proprietors till the Russian business person Armenak S. Agababyan bought it in 2008 and also provided it the much-needed economic stability to proceed the production. In spite of some ups and downs, the manufacturing facility nowadays has once again an excellent online reputation for its handmade and also imaginative porcelain.

In the very early days of creator Carl-Johann Thieme the main designs mirrored types and also forms of the Baroque and Rococo period. Nowadays, the recommended layout language varies from Baroque to Classicism as well as right into Biedermeier art. Floral layouts, opulent painting and also rich gold decoration are trademarks and also provide Dresden Porcelain such an elegant and elegant touch. Dresden porcelain is a piece of Saxony much like the legendary dome of the church of our woman in Dresden, the “Eierschecke” cake that the Saxons love a lot or the spectacular crags as well as stone peaks in the Elb Sandstone Mountains. It made it through globe battles, the socialist program of East Germany, mismanagement and also transforming owners. It is unsubstantiated that there is such a turbulent background behind these calm and wonderful pieces of porcelain.

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