Everyone has their thing, but... that collection sounds excessive to me. 😅 It's amazing how something that esteems you in one era can make your look silly (or even pathological) in another. They're beautiful sculptures, though. And just like that, yet another playlist bites the dust. 😌 Looking forward to hearing more about art in the Americas.
a few weeks ago I saw the porcelain animal collection in dresden for the first time and was fascinated them, especially the rhinoceros which is so clearly made after the dürer sketch and the almost cartoony expressions of the lions thank you for sharing your thoughts about the two highlighted pieces :)
The story of porcelain is one of the most fascinating slices of human history. It includes all the great elements of a drama: international intrigue, greed, power struggles, state secrets, trade wars, science, experimentation, technological leaps, white slavery, spying, and of course the pursuit of beauty. For more, you might like reading "The Arcanum," which focuses on Augustus the Strong's nearly manic pursuit of porcelain.
Was there a reason why the color fading now? I wonder how'd Augustus II felt about this since they may try to preserve a long lasting color like china's porcelain.
If I remember correctly, the color was painted on after firing since an additional firing to vitrify the glaze was too difficult with objects made of porcelain of this size and weight. As a result the color flaked off and was then more completely removed at some point.
"Dresden porcelain (or "china") was once the usual term for Meissen porcelain, until in 1975 the Oberlandesgericht (Higher Munich State Court) decided in favour of the Saxon Porcelain Manufactory Dresden, which alone was then allowed to use the name Dresden Porcelain (it ceased producing in 2020).[1] Meissen remained the dominant European porcelain factory, and the leader of stylistic innovation, until somewhat overtaken by the new styles introduced by the French Sèvres factory in the 1760s, but has remained a leading factory to the present day. "-Wikipedia
