Meissen Porcelain Manufactory

Established as the Saxon royal porcelain factory under the patronage of Augustus II, Meissen was the first to duplicate the recipe of the true hard-paste porcelain produced in China and Japan. It remained the dominant porcelain factory in Europe until 1750 when it was eclipsed by the royal French manufactory of Sévres. Meissen's first director was the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger, who invented an extremely hard, red stoneware, which could be polished, engraved, or cut into facets. The form and decorations were inspired by Chinese and Japanese porcelain. With the introduction of Johann Gergorius Höroldt as chief painter in 1720, more colors were introduced. The factory became known throughout out Europe for its faithful copies of East Asian scenes.