Dresden porcelain

The term “Dresden porcelain” refers more to an artistic movement than a particular line of figurines or dinnerware.  Several decorating studios emerged in this Saxony capital in response to the rise of “Romanticism” during the 19th century.  Dresden was an important center of this artistic, cultural and intellectual movement, which attracted painters, sculptors, poets, philosophers and porcelain decorators alike.  In 1883, in response to the exciting developments happening all around them, four prominent ceramic decorators registered the famous blue crown Dresden mark, and the widely popular “Dresden style” was born. 

Much confusion exists concerning the relationship between the names “Dresden” and “Meissen,” which are often used interchangeably.  This misunderstanding dates to the earliest years of porcelain production in Europe.  The secret of hard paste porcelain, previously the exclusive knowledge of the Chinese and Japanese exporters, was actually discovered under the commission of Augustus the Strong in the city of Dresden

The first porcelain-producing factory, however, was begun fifteen miles away in the city of Meissen, in 1710.  However, as Dresden was a vital cultural and economic center of Saxony, most Meissen china was sold there.  As a result, much Meissen china and figurines, characterized by the blue cross-swords stamp, were mistakenly referred to as “Dresden.”  Modern day collectors, however, distinguish Meissen from the china produced by decorators in the city of Dresden beginning in the 19th century, which generally bear a blue crown stamp or other related mark.  While the work of Dresden decorators often rivaled that produced in Meissen, no actual porcelain was produced in Dresden.  That aspect of the process, at least, remained the exclusive pride of Meissen factories. 

Dresden china is often described as “rococo revival” style.  Rococo comes from the French word “rocaille” meaning rock work or grotto work, and refers to the artificial grottoes used in French gardens that were decorated with irregularly shaped stones and seashells.  Originally popular during the renaissance, rococo experienced a revival during the 19th century, touching virtually all aspects of interior design.  Dresden decorators were the first and most successful to employ this style on dinnerware, characterized by elaborate fanciful design and a profusion of foliage, flowers, fruits, shells and scrolls.

Although there were over 200 painting shops in Dresden alone between 1855 and 1944, the Dresden style is typically associated with the blue crown stamp first registered by Richard Klemm, Donath & Co., Oswald Lorenz, and Adolph Hamann in 1883.  The style they employed was a mixture of Meissen and Vienna flower and figure painting.  Later, other decorators employed the Crown and Dresden mark, and such names as Franziska Hirsch, Ambrosius Lamm, Carl Thieme (vases/urns, decorative)  and Helena Wolfsohn have also become synonymous with Dresden china.

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