Antique Meissen Porcelain Cherub Motto Figurine "Je decouvre tout" Model F13
About the Item
- Creator:Meissen Porcelain (Maker),Michel Victor Acier 1 (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)Width: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)Depth: 2.75 in (6.99 cm)
- Style:Rococo (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 19th or Early 20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. It is in overall good, as-pictured, used estate condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs noted, some fine & light surface scratches and other signs of expected light wear consistent with age.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:
Meissen Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen) is one of the preeminent porcelain factories in Europe and was the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. It was established in 1710 under the auspices of King Augustus II “the Strong” of Saxony-Poland (1670–1733), a keen collector of Asian ceramics, particularly Ming porcelain.
In pursuing his passion, which he termed his “maladie de porcelaine,” Augustus spent vast sums, amassing some 20,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese ceramics. These, along with examples of early Meissen, comprise the Porzellansammlung, or porcelain collection, of the Zwinger Palace, in Dresden.
The king was determined, however, to free the European market from its dependence on Asian imports and to give European artisans the freedom to create their own porcelain designs. To this end, he charged the scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and aspiring alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger with the task of using local materials to produce true, hard-paste porcelain (as opposed to the soft-paste variety European ceramists in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain had been producing since the late Renaissance). In 1709, the pair succeeded in doing just that, employing kaolin, or “china clay.” A year later, the Meissen factory was born.
In its first decades, Meissen mostly looked to Asian models, producing wares based on Japanese Kakiemon ceramics and pieces with Chinese-inflected decorations called chinoiserie. During the 1720s its painters drew inspiration from the works of Watteau, and the scenes of courtly life, fruits and flowers that adorned fashionable textiles and wallpaper. It was in this period that Meissen introduced its famous cobalt-blue crossed swords logo — derived from the arms of the Elector of Saxony as Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire — to distinguish its products from those of competing factories that were beginning to spring up around Europe.
By the 1730s, Meissen’s modelers and decorators had mastered the style of Asian ceramics, and Augustus encouraged them to develop a new, original aesthetic. The factory’s director, Count Heinrich von Brühl, used Johann Wilhelm Weinmann’s botanical drawings as the basis for a new line of wares with European-style surface decoration. The Blue Onion pattern (Zwiebelmuster), first produced in 1739, melded Asian and European influences, closely following patterns used in Chinese underglaze-blue porcelain, but replacing exotic flora and fruits with Western varieties (likely peaches and pomegranates, not onions) along with peonies and asters.
During the same period, head modeler Joachim Kändler (1706–75) began crafting delicate porcelain figures derived from the Italian commedia dell’arte. Often used as centerpieces on banquet tables and decorated to reflect the latest fashions in courtly dress for men and women, these figurines were popular in their day, and are still considered among Meissen’s most iconic creations. Kändler also created the Swan Service, which, with its complex low-relief surface design and minimal decoration is considered a masterpiece of Baroque ceramics.
The rise of Neoclassicism in the latter half of the 18th century forced Meissen to change artistic direction and begin producing monumental vases, clocks, chandeliers and candelabra. In the 20th century, Meissen added to its 18th-century repertoire decidedly modern designs, including ones in the Art Nouveau style. The 1920s saw the introduction of numerous animal figures, such as the popular sea otter (Fischotter), which graced an East German postage stamp in the 1960s. Starting in 1933, artistic freedom was limited at the factory under the Nazi regime, and after World War II, when the region became part of East Germany, it struggled to reconcile its elite past with the values of the Communist government. In 1969, however, new artistic director Karl Petermann reintroduced the early designs and fostered a new degree of artistic license. Meissen became one of the few companies to prosper in East Germany.
Owned by the State of Saxony since reunification, in 1990, Meissen continues to produce its classic designs together with new ones developed collaboratively with artists from all over the world. In addition, through its artCAMPUS program, the factory has invited distinguished ceramic artists, such as Chris Antemann and Arlene Shechet, to work in its studios in collaboration with its skilled modelers and painters. The resulting works of contemporary sculpture are inspired by Meissen’s rich and complex legacy.
Find a collection of authentic Meissen Porcelain on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Meissen Porcelain Female Golfer Figurine by Peter StrangBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine Meissen porcelain figurine or miniature. By Peter Strang. Strang was born in Dresden in 1935 and received a degree in Sculpture from the Academy...Category
20th Century German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Figurine Busts of a Man & Woman by Peter StrangBy Peter Strang, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of miniature Meissen porcelain busts. By Peter Strang. In the form of a man and woman in casual clothing. The man wears an argyle sweater a...Category
20th Century German Modern Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Vintage Meissen Porcelain Golfer or Golfing Figurine by Peter StrangBy Peter Strang, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine Meissen porcelain miniature or figurine. By Peter Strang. Strang was born in Dresden in 1935 and received a degree in Sculpture from the Academy...Category
20th Century German Modern Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Cubist French Horn Musician Figurine by Peter StrangBy Peter Strang, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine vintage Meissen porcelain figurine. By Peter Strang. Strang was born in Dresden in 1935 and received a degree in Sculpture from the Academy of F...Category
20th Century German Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Set of 12 Antique Meissen Porcelain Reticulated Cabinet Plates with CherubsBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAAn extraordinarily fine set of Meissen Porcelain cabinet plates. Each with a gilt scalloped rim, a pierced or reticulated border (with a left-hand twist), and centers with varying...Category
Antique 19th Century German Art Nouveau Dinner Plates
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique Meissen Porcelain Neu Brandenstein Fish Platter & Strainer InsertBy Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine Meissen porcelain fish tray with its rare strainer. By the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. In the Neu Brandenstein Relief pattern. Or...Category
Early 20th Century German Rococo Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Tall Motto Child Je Les Mets a Calme G 29 Acier Marcolini PeriodBy Michel Victor Acier 1Located in Vienna, ATMEISSEN VERY LOVELY FIGURINE: MOTTO CHILD BY M.V.ACIER / JE LES METS A CALME ( = I'M CONCILIATING AND I'M SOOTHING ) Manufactory: Meissen Hallmarked: Blue Meissen Sword Mark (...Category
Antique Late 18th Century German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Figurines Cherubs with Swing Model G 32 by Acier Made circa 1920By Michel Victor Acier 1Located in Vienna, ATMeissen gorgeous figurine group: Cherubs with Swing The details are stunningly sculptured = finest modelling! Design: Michel Victor Acier (1736-1799) / model G 32 created 1780 ...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Figurines Cherubs Wine Growers Model C 60 by Acier Made circa 1870By Michel Victor Acier 1Located in Vienna, ATMeissen gorgeous figurine group: Cherubs as Wine Growers The details are stunningly sculptured = finest modelling! Design: Michel Victor Acier (1736-1799) / model C 60 created 1...Category
Antique 1870s German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Figurines Cherubs Allegory of Geometry Model C47, Acier Made circa 1870By Michel Victor Acier 1Located in Vienna, ATMeissen gorgeous figurine group: Cherubs personifying Allegory of Geometry The details are stunningly sculptured = finest modelling! Design: Michel Victor Acier (1736-1799) / mo...Category
Antique 1870s German Rococo Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Figurine of Cherub as Scottish Lass Dancing GermanyBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Montreal, QCDelightful little Meissen porcelain figurine of a cherub as a Scottish lass, curtsying for a dance. From the tam atop her head to her plaid kilt to her little bare feet, she is a ros...Category
Early 20th Century German Edwardian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique Meissen Porcelain Figurine of a Child Playing a LuteBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in Hamilton, OntarioThis antique figurine was made by the renowned Meissen factory of Germany in approximately 1850 in their period Dresden romantic style. The figurine is composed of their paste porcel...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century German Romantic Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain