Porcelain figurines from Germany

We see porcelain figurines as something light and sophisticated. At the same time, fragile sculptures are also a passionate interest of collectors, and not just a cute little thing in the interior. Against the general background of European porcelain production, Germany stands out, outstripping in perfection the small form of porcelain plastic and the quality of its neighbors. How it happened, what can be seen on the market of antique German porcelain, and most importantly - how not to lose your head among this variety, and will be discussed further.

The origins of porcelain sculpture from Germany date back to the 18th century, when hard porcelain paste was created in the Saxon city of Meissen by Johannes Boettger and Walter von Tschirnhaus. Soon the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, famous all over the world for its products, appeared.

She began to engage in sculpture directly from about 1727, after a large order of animalistic figures for the royal court, brilliantly executed by I.G. Kirshner and I.I.Kendler. Figures from their period are the stars of any collection.

The details were connected with kaolin solution; over time, their number increased, making the figures more detailed. Initially flat, with flowers hiding defects, the bases soon began to become covered with curls, marking the dominance of the Rococo, and by the second half of the 18th century, the famous tall, twisted legs appeared at the base of the figurines.

The colors and favorite themes of the masters changed.By 1750, the Meissen manufactory was no longer unique, its production facilities appeared on the territory of other regions. The products were distinguished by their brands. Here is some of them:

• crossed swords (since 1722, in various variations) - Meissen manufactory;
• different variants of the crown, antlers, two oppositely directed letters C - Ludwigsburg manufactory;
• the wheel crossed out by six spokes - the Hechst plant;
• elements of the Prussian coat of arms in blue and reddish brown (since 1840) - Berlin Manufactory.

Very often, the initials of the artist, the coat of arms of the place of manufacture were and are the hallmarks.

A variety of techniques and themes is another feature of Germanic porcelain figurines.

In 1774 Camillo Marcolini became the head of the Meissen Manufactory., who, trying to return to production the leadership lost during the Seven Years' War, begins to use the technology of porcelain lace.

The effect of lacy porcelain was achieved in the following way:

1. on one side of a thin fabric (lace, silk or cambric), draped under the folds of clothes, a kaolin composition specially mixed for these needs was applied;
2. products were sent for firing;
3. after burning the fabric, the effect of lace on the porcelain was formed.

By the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, unglazed, "biscuit" porcelain gained popularity. Under the influence of classicism, color began to fade from the surface of porcelain figurines.

Only popular themes changed faster than manufacturing technologies.

In different periods, scenes and heroes from the classic comedy del Arte, dancers, ballerinas prevailed in this area.

Speaking of ballet. Repeatedly, at different times, the Russian imperial court acted as the customer of statuettes on this subject.

Always present, mythological motifs undoubtedly flourished in the era of classicism, when their variety was not limited to all sorts of Cupids and Cupids, but included ancient deities, allegorical plots, mythical creatures.

Musicians (especially strangers), hunters, peasants - the images of representatives of these, and not only these, professions and estates regularly appeared in the works of masters of porcelain sculpture. One of the fans of this theme, for example, was I. Kendler, whose works were distinguished by incredible liveliness.

But for artists and representatives of other spheres of activity, the range of images of people in German sculpture was not limited. Silhouettes of couples in love and, of course, small children were actively used. The images of the latter were especially actively exploited, therefore, various figures of boys with and without dogs, girls in elegant dresses, just chubby babies can be found in almost any collection.

Since we have already mentioned dogs, then it is worth mentioning the topic of animals in general. Dogs are, of course, in favor here.

In the 20th century, the above-described breeds supplanted the German Shepherd Dogs, whose figurines were popular both during the Third Reich and after its fall. A fairly common sample is the figurines of a shepherd dog, a series of which was released at the Gotha manufactory (1934).

But, as expected, the business is not limited to dogs. In the same hunting scenes, there are horses, bears, deer. A popular story is horse-drawn carriages. Pets, along with dogs, are cats. It was not without exotic, where the leader is undoubtedly the tiger, the images of which can be found among the masters of various periods.

Among the birds, it is worth noting eagles, which, contrary to misconception, were popular long before Hitler came to power.

Much has already been said about the Meissen manufactory, but interesting design solutions, own technological developments were present not only among the works of its masters. Here are a few more industries dealing with porcelain sculpture.

• Factory in Fulda. A small one that existed in 1764-1790. production. The lead author is Wenzel. Notable series: The Screams of Paris, The Fulda Court Orchestra.
• Nymphenburg Manufactory. Munich manufactory, known primarily for the works of F.A.Bustelli on the theme of the comedy Del Arte for statuettes of children.
• Factory Ludwigsburg. Skillfully executed works by G. Riedel and I. Beer, created in the second half of the 18th century, are popular among collectors.
• Factory Hoechst. The most famous sculptor is I. Melchior, who preferred to create whole scenes with children, heroes of myths, and elements of a religious cult. All this was located against the backdrop of a pastoral landscape.
• W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik. The production is known for its incredible beauty of children's figurines and an amazing history of its origin. At the origins of collectors' favorite series of figurines was the nun Maria Hammel, who was a student in the world at the Munich Academy of Applied Arts. Together with the children, she drew pastoral scenes and made postcards, which Franz Gebel, who owned a porcelain factory, stumbled upon in a Munich store. So in the 30s of the last century, the story of the "Hummel Babies" began, which, despite all the vicissitudes of time, continues to this day. True, after bankruptcy (2017), the factory changed its owner, but no one is going to give up the production of the famous cute figurines.
• Rosenthal. Founded in 1879 by F. Rosenthal, the company not only managed to survive the nightmares of the Nazi regime, but also rose from the pearl in the 50s. It is known mainly for limited author's series, among whose artists are the names of Walter Gropius and the designers of the Versace house.

In search of German porcelain figurines, especially antique ones, there is a risk of running into a fake or outright consumer goods. It will take time to learn right off the bat to distinguish between rare and worthwhile specimens, but for now, remember the simple rules that will help you at first.

• When making an expensive purchase, do not be lazy to use the services of a professional appraiser.
• Always check that the stamp on the product corresponds to the declared age and place of manufacture.
• Limited edition items and large batch samples of the same year made in the same factory will differ significantly in price.
• Buy figurines in trusted stores. When buying from hand, always check on thematic forums to see if someone has already had a negative experience of communicating with the seller.
• At flea markets, you are unlikely to find a thing of the 18th century, but interesting examples of porcelain of the 20th century are quite. But here you, again, act at your own peril and risk.
• The most basic idea of ​​the degree of rarity of a figurine can be obtained by looking at how many similar ones are for sale.
• Among the statuettes of dancers, it is worth taking a closer look at those that depict a specific ballerina, and not an abstract girl. They can be significantly more valuable.
• Much depends on the type of porcelain. Hard, bone, soft have different prices. At the same time, products made of soft porcelain are the most durable.
• It is logical that statuettes, whose age has been digested for tens, if not hundreds of years, can bear the imprints of their long life. But this does not mean that you need to close your eyes to the condition of the product. Take a closer look, for example, at the glaze, if the figurine is covered with it. Spots, air bubbles are not the best sign.
• Porcelain sounds special. But you won't be able to rely on hearing right away.

German porcelain figurines are a subject of pride and interest not only for a collector, but also for a simple lover of beautiful, high-quality things. Bearing the imprint of the era, they can nevertheless fit well into a modern interior. You just need to take the time to make the right choice.