Over 360 stunning color photos display exquisite blue and white decorated dining services, candelabrums, tea and coffee services, centerpieces, vases, and more, created by Germany's famous Meissen porcelain manufactory. Ranging from rare, early eighteenth century museum pieces to nineteenth century plates and platters readily obtainable by collectors, they feature decorations in royal blue, underglaze and overglaze colors, and patterns including Rock and Bird, Strawflower, and the ever-popular Blue Onion. Many have never before been seen in print in an English language publication! The fascinating text includes a history of porcelain painting, a discussion of Meissen's artists, the wares produced, decorative techniques incorporated over two centuries, and an examination of Meissen's manufacturer's marks, a bibliography, and an index. Values may be found in the captions. This book is essential for everyone who appreciates fine porcelain.

Traces the history of the Meissen factory from it's foundation in 1710.

An exploration of the ways early modern European artists have visualized continents through the female (sometimes male) body to express their perceptions of newly encountered peoples. Often stereotypical, these personifications are however more complex than what they seem.

Porcelain imported from China was the most highly coveted new medium in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-­century Europe. Its pure white color, translucency, and durability, as well as the delicacy of decoration, were impossible to achieve in European earthenware and stoneware. In response, European ceramic factories set out to discover the process of producing porcelain in the Chinese manner, with significant artistic, technical, and commercial ramifications for Britain and the Continent. Indeed, not only artisans, but kings, noble patrons, and entrepreneurs all joined in the quest, hoping to gain both prestige and profit from the enterprises they established. This beautifully illustrated volume showcases ninety works that span the late sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century and reflect the major currents of European porcelain production. Each work is illustrated with glorious new photography, accompanied by analysis and interpretation by one of the leading experts in European decorative arts. Among the wide range of porcelains selected are rare blue-and-white wares and figures from Italy, superb examples from the Meissen factory in Germany and the Sèvres factory in France, and ceramics produced by leading British eighteenth-century artisans. Taken together, they reveal why the Metropolitan Museum’s holdings in this field are among the finest in the world. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana}