Dish

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 depicting ships and human figures, capturing dynamic nautical scenes popular in the Rococo era's fanciful style. These intricate hand-painted motifs, often heightened with gold accents, showcase Meissen's mastery of polychrome techniques, blending technical innovation with artistic whimsy. Such pieces were status symbols for Europe's elite, adorning lavish tables and reflecting the era's obsession with exotic trade and maritime exploration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, this dish—bequeathed by Mary Strong Shattuck in 1935—highlights Meissen's pivotal role in democratizing luxury ceramics, forever shifting decorative arts from Asia to the West. A delicate treasure of 18th-century ingenuity!

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...