Reece James: Dresden Porcelain - White Gold From Saxony

August the Solid, Royal Prince Elector of Saxony, was fascinated. In 1701, he got a letter from a young man named Johann Friedrich Böttger that was an alchemist as well as had been arrested in Wittenberg, a town outside August's realm. Böttger claimed that he can transform base metals into gold. If there was something August loved more than females (report has it that he fathered about 300 bogus youngsters), it was gold.

The art-loving leader amassed loads of treasure throughout his lifetime a few of which can still be seen in the Environment-friendly Safe in Dresden. The temptation to have his own gold-maker was alluring: after a brief conflict with the Prussian king who likewise had his eye on Böttger, August quietly relocated Böttger to Dresden where he was purely protected as well as as a matter of fact sent to prison so he would certainly not flee and take his secret expertise about gold-making with him.

This went on for years. Böttger fell short to make gold, constantly declaring that he was "virtually there". In 1704, he was coupled with Walther von Tschirnhaus, another alchemist in August's "custody" that had at first been on a look for the "philosopher's rock" on August's request yet had actually counted on trying out materials to make porcelain. Böttger never ever succeeded in making gold as well as Tschirnhaus never found the philosopher's rock. But with each other they established the formula how to make "white gold" - tough paste porcelain.

Tschirnhaus did not live to the enormous success of their invention. He passed away in 1708, 2 years prior to the thrilled August the Solid founded the first European porcelain manufacturing facility in Meissen in 1710. Böttger was finally provided his liberty in 1714 under the problem that he would certainly not leave the nation nor share the secret concerning porcelain-making with anybody. Oh, as well as lastly, make gold ... He passed away in 1719, being only 37 years old. Porcelain ended up being the pride and also a treasured export of Saxony, giving work to many individuals and drawing fantastic artists to Saxony to work in the sector.

There is a lot of confusion about "Meissen porcelain" as well as "Dresden porcelain" as they are typically made use of interchangeably in the English-speaking nations. The mistake is reasonable when you understand that Meissen as well as Dresden are only about 16 miles apart. Meissen is the place of the first porcelain factory started by August the Strong, but he resided in Dresden and his porcelain, identified by the blue cross-swords stamp, was rather connected with this city, as the much of it was offered right here.

But actually, "Meissen porcelain" and "Dresden porcelain" are 2 extremely different things. I do not suggest to small the fantastic craftmanship and also art of the Meissen porcelain. Its excellent track record around the world is well-deserved and besides, it is the oldest porcelain manufacturing facility in Europe. However you discover it everywhere, new as well as old, bied far, auctioned off on eBay ... Dresden porcelain on the other hand, is not that common. You can locate it on ebay.com, but it is still something not everybody has, something for the porcelain connoisseur.

So, what is "Dresden porcelain"?

Carl-Johann Thieme was an experienced porcelain painter who owned a tiny porcelain and also antique store in the facility of Dresden. In 1872 he made a decision to follow his most significant dream and also create his very own porcelain. He located an ideal area for his enterprise in the industrial area Potschappel simply outside Dresden and the "Sächsische Porzellan-Fabrik Carl Thieme zu Potschappel" opened up in September 1872.

The manufacturing facility flourished initially and this success was largely due to porcelain modeler Carl August Kuntzsch that also took place to be Thieme's own kid in law. Kuntzsch created a floral décor that would end up being an ส่วนลด Expedia one-of-a-kind hallmark of Dresden porcelain and also became the manufacturing facility's director after Thieme's death in 1912. The globe wars impacted the manufacturing facility fairly heavily as exports caved in and beneficial workers left or were killed in the wars, but the manufacturing facility survived just to be expropriated detailed by the GDR government. Outdoors socialist East Germany, the lovely porcelain was fairly preferred, as well as the 180 employees mostly produced items for export to West Germany et cetera of Western Europe.

Adhering to 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 till it was gotten by French capitalists that went bankrupt shortly after that. It went through the hands of several proprietors till the Russian business person Armenak S. Agababyan acquired it in 2008 and also offered it the much-needed financial security to proceed the production. In spite of some ups as well as downs, the manufacturing facility nowadays has again an exceptional reputation for its handmade as well as creative porcelain.

In the early days of creator Carl-Johann Thieme the primary styles mirrored forms and also forms of the Baroque and Rococo age. Nowadays, the preferred layout language varies from Baroque to Classicism and right into Biedermeier art. Floral designs, luxurious painting and also rich gold design are hallmarks and offer Dresden Porcelain such a stylish and elegant touch. Dresden porcelain is a piece of Saxony just like the iconic dome of the church of our woman in Dresden, the "Eierschecke" cake that the Saxons love a lot or the magnificent crags and stone peaks in the Elb Sandstone Hills. It made it through globe battles, the socialist program of East Germany, mismanagement and also changing owners. It is hard to believe that there is such an unstable history behind these tranquil and fascinating items of porcelain.

Reece James

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Dresden Porcelain - White Gold From Saxony

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