Our Meissen is carefully selected for both quality and condition enabling our customers to buy with confidence. Our online gallery of 19th century antique Meissen porcelain displays over 40 pieces from our much larger inventory which is all on display in the shop (click "contact details" button above for our opening times). The variety on offer ranges from small figures to large and important objects and with hundreds of pieces to choose from we are bound to have somthing to delight.

Meissen's collectability, means that searching and assembling a set, for example the 5 senses (pictured top right), can be as much a part of the fun as the appreciation of the item itself. The Meissen senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch) originally modelled by Schoenheit in the 1770's are always very popular and together with the monkey band (produced by Kaendler in the 1750's and refined by Reinicke in the 1760's) are good examples of sets we have been able to complete for many collectors worldwide. Photo 2 shows 4 examples from the set of Monkey band figures of which there are 21 in total excluding the music stand.

Rare & Unusual Meissen pieces are also a staple of our business and photo 3 shows a very fine pair of vases depicting hunting scenes that were shown at the Halle exhibition (near Leipzig) in 1881. Photo 4 is a more recent study of a lion by Erich Oehme dated 1939 and below that some other objects that typify Meissen's skill and artistry that has kept their porcelain in the forefront for three centuries.

Our Guarantee is based on our business principals that are supported by the LAPADA code of conduct. All Meissen porcelain is delicate in nature and with age it is therefore accepted that damages do occur. It is our policy to only sell pieces that are in the best possible condition with only minor restoration to extremities, such as leaves and petals, a finger, toe, feathers and other similar protuberances. We will never sell items with major damage (eg. figures broken at the head or waist) and we are very happy to provide full restoration reports for each of our pieces, upon request. In addition, all of our restorations are made in porcelain and not made using the polyurethane substance that 99% of industry wide restorers use. At every step of the way quality and service is our aim. Worldwide shipping is easily arranged by our trusted fine art packers and shippers, no matter the size or weight of the item purchased.

Meissen Porcelain was the first of it's kind to be produced in Europe. The factory is today, still owned by the state of Saxony who were pioneers in the art of fine porcelain production, established in 1710 by Augustus The Strong at Albrechtsburg castle. The castle and surrounding area can often be seen, finely painted on a range of Meissen wares.

An edited list of notable dates....... January 3rd 1710 marks the invention of Meissen hard paste porcelain and June 6th the factory is opened. By 1712, twenty three Craftsmen are employed and in 1713 the first white hard paste porcelain goes to sale at the Leipzig Easter Fair. In 1714 the first showroom opens in Dresden and 3 years later (28th August 1717), Augustus II is presented with the first example of under glaze blue painting on Meissen porcelain. 1722 sees the first polychrome decorated porcelain for sale at the Leipzig fair and the introduction of the now iconic Meissen cross swords mark, taken from the Saxonian coat of arms to protect the porcelain's authenticity for years to come. Johann Joachim Kaendler is employed as a modeller in 1731. By 1765 Meissen has in employment a total of 731 men.

While quality and consistency is paramount at the Meissen factory, every item, as hand made, has differences and nuances. This means that no two pieces are ever exactly alike. Each piece bears the imprint of the individual artist's hand (modeller, assembler and painters alike), a distinction that is almost beyond price. Of course there have been distinctive variations over Meissen's 300 year history but in the latter half of the 19th century the quality of finish and decorators artistry surpassed itself. It is this excellence that many of our customers prize (e.g. photo 5, a monumental centrepiece modelled by Hirt and exhibited in Munich in 1888).

The Meissen Factory & Museum has to be on the "to do list" if you have a love for it's porcelain. Although the modern day factory is not open to the public, the workshop tour within the museum is an education in the production of Meissen wares and the exhibits of 19th century Meissen is certainly worthwhile.

Other Meissen Collections