Beautiful collection you have Birgit! It is amazing to see all the different inspiration in style and design.

Thank you for sharing 

Ditto, thank you.

Some really nice examples of meissen ware you have there Birgit. I really like the one with the flying squirrel. 😊

Mark 

So do I, Mark!  

Birgit, thank you so much for posting these up.  It is so interesting to see the cross-influencing - not sure that a good expression but you know what I mean.

I have a little Kangxi dish so similar to the Blue Onion dish, only mine has a bird.

Lovely pieces,such variety.

Last month I bought a couple of pieces of Meissen a

t an auction.I wanted the Cup but thought the plate was pretty but much later.

Birgit, you have a beautiful antique Meissen collection, wow.. 
Stunning pieces - and excellent comparison; worthy of a blog or article imo.

The history of Meissen's origin with them being established near Dresden as the result of King Augustas' jealousy for quality and manufacturing of imperial Chinese kilns in early 1700s shows very much in both their earliest antique examples and their revised 19th/20th century antique and vintage ones as well. 

I very much myself enjoy the Meissen kakiemon examples amongst others, possibly as much as their original inspiration - hope to add some to my own collection at some point.
(Also fun fact of course, is Meissen's discovery of "liquid gold" for enamel work in the 1800s, and the subsequent leaking of "how to" enabling Japan's heavily gilded Meiji exports to be known for such)

The only piece I have is one of their early productions of the Ming Dragon reissues coinciding with their launch of the Berlin Mug series circa 1980s; the name of their fabled pattern always making me laugh as ironically it resembles the dragon on my Japanese Kutani Tokkuri (itself a Meiji tribute/"reissue" of earlier Edo Ko-Kutani examples) far more than any Ming (or Qing) dragon examples I've found 😆 

Rumour has it that Ko-Kutani pieces may have a lot of inspiration from Chinese pieces, too. 
So really ceramics in general tributing the ceramics of others; themselves possibly having been at the time tributes/inspired by other earlier ceramics, must be quite the lot to wrap one's head around eh?

Meissen seems to be such a fascinating niche; I wish my wallet would let me explore it as deeply as I want it to! 

Best,
-JRN

Thank you all for your favourable comments. I forgot to tell how these Asian influences came to be painted on early Meissen porcelain. August the Strong, the "boss" of the manufacture was one of the great collectors of Asian porcelain. He sent items from his collection to Meissen. Some were copied 1:1, especially in the beginning, but the artists also took single elements and put them together to new designs.  There are even items with Chinese and Japanese designs on one piece. Only later they invented the famous Chinoiseries that are purely European in design.

Hi Vic, two very nice items - mid 18th century?

Hi Mark, I wanted a flying squirrel for many years. The 18th century ones are much more charming than the later ones but were unoffardable to me. Only recently, in March, there was an auction where due to Corona a lot of nice Meissen things remained unsold and I could get the plate for the starting bid. Still made a hole in my pocket...

Hi Julia, in older Meissen books they thought that just a single Chinese plate existed after which the onion pattern was painted. Meanwhile some more have popped up. I was searching for one for years until I discovered it in a Kangxi job lot. You can be happy to own one. Did you ever show it here?

Hi JRN, the dragon looks rather Japanese indeed. It belongs to the pattern they still produce. Though I think they can do every pattern on request.

When I visited the factory a while ago there was a shop where they sold all kinds of porcelain for incredible prices. Most people, me included, gathered round the table with the second-rate quality which doesn't mean chipped but with small painting mistakes or glaze faults that one is unable to see. A blue and white teacup without saucer was still €50-80 in second-rate quality, colored patterns being more expensive.

The funny thing about Meissen porcelain is that modern items are really expensive (due to the high production costs) while 19th century is still affordable. 18th century being craved by collectors is also expensive. So if you want to buy something nice for daily use search for items of the Knaufzeit period from 1860-1924, this time is also considered to have the best blue and white colors (which can seem a bit harsh on modern porcelain).

Hi Birgit,

I remember seeing a blue and white 18th c Meissen Chinoiserie Plate sell for over £100k,Christie’s or Sotheby’s I believe.

My favourite porcelain is Chelsea and my favourite patterns are Kakiemon,either original Japanese or European interpretations.

Meissen is superb but as you say,very expensive.

Vic

Hi Birgit,

The plate was on here, actually it is more of a dish, but as it was Peter that said it was Kangxi, it must have been quite some time ago as he doesn't join us as often now.  I can't remember what thread it was in, but I guess the picture has gone anyway.   I will see if I can find it or one of the photos I used.

I agree with Vic, Kakiemon is probably my favourite too, especially the real thing although the Chelsea pattern is lovely.  I guess lots of people feel/felt the same otherwise 18th c European potters would not have bothered to copy the designs.  The influence it has had and the enduring appeal is quite amazing. 

I love the fact that there is a little Kakiemon club going on here..
If anybody wants to take a stab at these on the 22nd, please do and let me know if you'd share.. 
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26087/lot/1019/

If every forum member pitched in $6-$7 we could buy it in the estimate range to all share 🤣 

(In all seriousness, if you have the means to and aren't stingy as I am - please keep this auction on the 22nd in mind; some amazing pieces offered and a slew of quality Kakiemon [including Meissen] that are estimated conservatively. Regardless of them pricing them as such to encourage bidding [a great strategy during the virus, and has brought great results with humble starts] I think a few could be had in the price range suggested) 

Phenomenal teapot, modest estimate for being 17th century:

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26053/lot/339/

Great selection of Meissen with very strong provenance across several collections to be honest
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25884/lot/80/

Worth looking out for. 
@shinigami, wow also that must have been an amazing experience. 
I remember being "dragged" into the factory when I was a younger chap by my mom and complaining; now I look back and of course wish I spent hours appreciating it haha. 
Did you pick up a piece?!? Would've been worth it just for the bragging rights! 
(Always did love the Villeroy & Boch museum in Mettlach for us mid-tier peasants LOL)

You are correct in your observation, I have noticed (modern being expensive, especially marked up on home sites ridiculously!).
Modern though, is very difficult imo to sell for certain things... 
Bonhams will not take mid-20th onwards, have been told to contact Sotheby's as they may for private sales - haven't had the time, ect.

My mug is the only example of its kind on the market, and has been for a long time in its age range (1980s vs new repo), possibly decades. 
Have it priced towards $900 on my lower traffic vintage page; and yet I do still get inquiries about once a week or two usually offering about $500-$700, but I'm standing firm on it as it adds "unusual flair" to the page.
I believe you can order a repo for $750 or so, but takes 3-4 months before the virus, so who knows now... 

I would like to think an original production run is worth more? But German porcelain collectors do not cross my path these days often sadly..
Of course as you know; Meissen does not work under commercial context - and insurance/direct handling takes 2-3 months of a process with them (now longer with the virus) and subtly suggested/signaled to me it could be difficult to gauge a fair market value.

Hope all is well, do be sure to check out the Bonhams sale!! 
Best,
-JRN 

I also like kakiemon and kutani as well and have a modest but solid collection. Probably the best piece I have is an Edo period vase (sake bottle) similar to one at British Museum. I was rather surprised when I saw a similar one for sale with an asking price of  £50,000. But if sold through one of the majors they would probably prefer to set the estimate lower than that, perhaps around  £10,000 - 15,000. That's probably the amount I would accept as a minimum.

I've been wanting to expand my collection for a while but have decided to wait. I'm however regularly researching pieces and when this cute little elephant was on sale I made an exception but got outbid. It sold for less than  $3000 but could likely carry a much higher estimate at on of the majors. A nearly identical example appeared in an exhibition held by Christie's. It's an early piece dating to the Edo period.

A few bits of European Kakiemon.

Hi Vic, interesting to see items from other manufactures. The plate with the quails resembles the Bonham plate though painting quality seems lower. Such beautiful items at the Bonhams auction 😍Hi JRN, at the factory outlet I bought two cups that I later completed with less expensive vintage cake plates and saucers. The quality is stunning, it’s quite a difference to common table porcelain. 

Hi Birgit,Plate is Bow,London,1750’s. Little Coffee Can is Derby 1810’ish and Vase is circa 1740’s Dutch Delft.

The Elephant is super.

Vic