Meissen

Meissen is the first porcelain manufactory in Europe, founded in 1710 in Saxony following the discovery of the secret of hard-paste porcelain production by alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger and scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. Meissen porcelain became a cult object for European and Russian aristocracy, including Catherine II and the Stroganov and Yusupov families. Since 1722, pieces have been marked with the 'crossed swords' emblem, applied in underglaze cobalt blue. Today, the manufactory continues its tradition of manual production, and Meissen masterpieces are held in the world's most prominent museum collections.