Dish
ca. 1735
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 6 in. (15.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Strong Shattuck, 1935
Accession Number
35.80.75
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite dish from the Meissen Manactory, created around 5, exemplifies the dawn of European porcelain production Measuring just 6 inches in diameter, is crafted from hard-paste porcelain groundbreaking material developed in Germany that mimicked the prized translucent quality of Chinese imports. Founded in 1710 under the patronage of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, Meissen became Europe's first successful producer of this true porcelain, fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and whiteness. The dish's surface likely features vibrant overglaze enamel decorations d...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory · 1710–present
The Meissen Manufactory, established on June 6, 1710, by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, marked the dawn of true hard-paste porcelain production in Europe. Nestled at Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen near Dresden, the Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Porcelain Manufactory arose from alchemical experiments begun in 1708 by physicist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and p...