Now the standard reference. More than 1200 illustrations, 282 in color, show the history of the Meissen porcelain manufactory in Germany and the products it produced. Years of meticulous research in the Meissen archives have culminated in this unexcelled reference book. Special attention is given to the 19th and 20th century products of the manufactory, which have been neglected in most books on Meissen.

Red Porcelain, 1709 made ready for production by Johann Friedrich Boettger and universally known as Boettger red stoneware, represented the most elegant ceramics in Europe before experimentation led to rediscovery in Europe of the coveted white hard-paste porcelain, also known as Meissen Porcelain. Finished by the application of sophisticated techniques, Boettger red stoneware soon ranked high in favor with princes, of whom ostentation was expected. Combined with ruby glass, silver, gold and precious stones, it also entered the exalted sphere of the court treasury. Beginning with the universal 'alchemist' Boettger himself, the present publication provides an overview of the ways artisans dealt creatively with this hard material, how models were drawn from goldsmiths' art and what role was played by Boettger red stoneware in the Baroque treasury of Augustus the Strong. Essays reveal that exquisitely finished Boettger stoneware also set trends in court art.

A beautiful book that reveals the world of art collecting from home, featuring exquisite examples of Hollingsworth and Morris family furniture. Start with House, Finish with a Collection is the story of how a couple's use of American art and antiques evolved from furnishing a house into a full-blown passion for collecting. Featuring exquisite examples of Hollingsworth and Morris family furniture, Weber boxes, Pennsylvania clocks and Kirk-Stieff silver, as well as American paintings by the Peale family, Edward Hicks, Edward Redfield and Horace Pippin, this museum-calibre collection reveals a pride in the early American sensibility. The combination of text and extraordinary photographs traces this remarkable journey and demonstrates that life can be more than comfortable living among these collections. The compendium catalogues the diversified and important collection, making this a valuable scholarly reference as well as a reading pleasure.

While imported Chinese porcelain had become a valuable commodity in Europe in the seventeenth century, local attempts to produce porcelain long remained unsuccessful. At last the secret of hard-paste porcelain was uncovered, and in 1710 the first European porcelain was manufactured in Saxony. Meissen porcelain, still manufactured today, soon ranked in value with silver and gold. This thorough and lavishly illustrated volume explores the early years of Meissen porcelain and how the princes of Saxony came to use highly prized porcelain pieces as diplomatic gifts for presentation to foreign courts. An eminent team of international contributors examines the trade of Meissen with other nations, from England to Russia. They also investigate the cultural ambience of the Dresden Court, varying tastes of the markets, the wide range of porcelain objects, and their designers and makers. Individual chapters are devoted to gifts to Denmark, other German courts, the Holy Roman Empire, Italy, France, and other nations. For every Meissen collector or enthusiast, this book will be not only a treasured handbook but also a source of visual delight.