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Weimar Porcelain Weimar
Description
Weimar Porcelain or Weimar Porzellan is a German company that produces porcelain in Weimar. The history of this brand begins in 1790 when the ceramic master Christian Andreas Speck asked Friedrich Graf von Hatzfeld to build a porcelain factory. On July 1, 1790, they obtained a license to build the factory in Weimar. The clay needed for porcelain production was brought from Tannroda, and the quartz-feldspar sand was sourced from Schwarz and the surrounding area of Blankenhain. The raw materials were crushed and processed at the factory in Zethau. The conditions for porcelain production were excellent and remained unchanged even during political upheavals. Speck was able to reach agreements with the relevant raw material suppliers to ensure that production was not affected. In 1797, Speck presented the first porcelain products at the Leipzig Fair. In the early 19th century, tableware was produced for the middle class and generally consisted of common goods. By 1816, Speck had hired 155 workers. In 1817, the factory was almost completely destroyed by fire, and considerable efforts were made to reconstruct it. Christian Andreas Speck died on December 30 of the same year at the age of 69. After Speck's death, the factory was bought by Landkammerrat Gustav Focht. It is unknown how much he knew about porcelain production, but he relied on the experience of the employees left by Christian Andreas Speck. In March 1836, Focht sold the porcelain factory to Gotthard Zorge for 17,000 Reichstalers, presumably due to a lack of specialized and skilled personnel. Zorge paid much more for the porcelain factory than it was worth and soon went bankrupt. Gustav Focht repurchased the factory from Zorge to sell it for 8,300 talers to a Mr. Streitbart. In 1841, Streitbart and Mr. H. Kestner established a subsidiary called Weimar. Together, they improved the production processes, but this was a short time before the bourgeois revolution.And when the economic climate for such enterprises was far from favorable. In 1847, Stratebart and Kestner temporarily closed the factory before selling it to the Fasolt family. The Fasolt family from Selb arrived in Blankenhain and began modernizing the company. In 1856, after the death of Victor Fasolt, his widow Elizabeth took over the business. In 1879, she handed over management to her sons Max and Karl Fasolt. Elizabeth had ambiguous relationships with porcelain entrepreneur Edward Eichler, who had also been involved in managing the factory since 1856. Some important events during this period included the introduction of the new trademark Saxon Rhomb; the construction of three large kilns for firing; and the acquisition of a new steam engine to power the mill in the large workshop of the factory. Other innovations and modernization measures were also implemented during this period. An important element was the construction of a railway line between Blankenhain and Weimar in 1887; this gave a significant advantage to the factory, which by then was mainly producing large batches of porcelain items. Therefore, in 1879, when transportation costs became cheaper and production volume constantly increased, Max and Karl Fasolt took over the management of the company. In 1900, the factory's trademark in the form of a rhombus was supplemented with the word "GERMANY" to strengthen the company's image as an exporter. During this time, production volume continuously increased, and the factory became widely known for producing porcelain of superior quality. The collaboration with Eichler proved successful, and the growing influence of the porcelain manufacturer Dux also paid off. There was an exchange of technical expertise, personnel, and models, which allowed for avoiding supply constraints. As expected, both enterprises suffered setbacks with the onset of World War I; exports declined, and employees were called to the front lines. In 1917, towards the end of World War I, Hamburg businessman Ernst Karstens...He acquired a porcelain factory in Blankenhain from the company Duxer Porzellanmanufaktur AG. As soon as he took over the company, renaming it "E. Carstens KG," he added a crown and laurel wreath to the company's trademark to herald the arrival of a new era. At that time, it was difficult to obtain raw materials and fuel, and export markets had to be rebuilt. Inflation was devastating, and the company had 300 workers and 20 employees. Thanks to the introduction of new materials and price adjustments in the interests of customers, the Carstens family managed to revive the export markets. The name Carstens is associated with the emergence of famous Weimar cobalt paintings on porcelain. As early as 1926, cobalt porcelain was produced in Blankenhain, which was likely due to Carstens' good contacts with Bohemia. To this day, this method of processing and painting white ceramics is still considered a special skill. The precious festive blue cobalt gives the material a unique aura, especially when adorned with delicate gold ornaments. Products from this period are often known to collectors as Carstens China. Carstens followed artistic trends in the modern style and adapted production to the customer's wishes. At that time, Weimar porcelain was known and valued for its style in England, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, America, and the Middle East. In 1928, the trademark Weimar Porzellan was registered. It is worth noting that around this time, there were periodic strikes in the history of Weimar Porzellan. Carstens managed his company quite strictly and harshly in order to remain operational during the Great Depression, and it was the workers who paid for extremely low but necessary export prices. The longest strike in 1929 lasted three months. The most famous designer was Eva Zeisel. It was she who infused the collections of classical tableware with notes of luxury and extravagance. After Carstens' death, his widow and two sons managed the factory until it wasConfiscated and nationalized by the Soviets in July 1948, a year before the official founding of East Germany. The company's goal was to build a highly efficient and modern production facility, which led to major investments in buildings, transportation, and equipment. Due to integration with the excellent Kahla ceramics, Blankenhain lost its independence as a porcelain factory. Quality also suffered. The artistic production style was mainly adapted to the tastes of Eastern export markets, meaning a return to classical forms and patterns in order to not lose foreign currency from these markets. In 1992, the company Herbert Hillebrand Bauverwaltungs-Gesellschaft GmbH, based in Kerpen-Horrem, acquired the porcelain factory from THA Erfurt and continued to operate as "Weimar Porzellan GmbH" until the spring of 1995, being a "family company Hillebrand". In April 1995, the factory went bankrupt and was under the management of a liquidator until June 1995. In June 1995, the city of Blankenhain, together with British American Ltd. and Optima Immobilien GmbH, bought the shares of the bankrupt Weimar Porzellan. British American Ltd. and Optima Immobilien GmbH sold their shares in 1995-1996. To three managing employees of the company (financial, sales, and production) who then owned 51% of the shares. The city of Blankenhain still owned 49% of the shares of Weimar Porzellan. In 2006, Geschwister Hillebrand GmbH reacquired Weimar Porzellan, and Cathrin Hillebrand and three executives, who were already members of the Executive Board in 1995-1996, became managing directors. In January 2007, Könitz Porzellan GmbH purchased Weimar Porzellan. The current managing director and owner of the company is Turpin Rosenthal, representing the sixth generation of his family. The calling card of Weimar porcelain has always been high-quality materials and the unchanged craftsmanship of specialists. The unique quality of handwork combined with the use of innovative techniques.Advanced production technologies make this famous tableware unsurpassed in all parameters! The production of Weimar porcelain requires great dedication and skill from specialists. Each component of the porcelain formula has a special value for the quality of the material. The high content of kaolin determines its whiteness, quartz gives hardness, and the firing of feldspar provides the necessary transparency. Weimar Porcelain tableware is certified, environmentally friendly, and safe.
Additional articles
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The concept and history of porcelain panels (paintings)
The concept and history of porcelain sculptures (paintings)
Concept and history of porcelain plaques (paintings) A porcelain plaque is a flat porcelain plate (board, plank) with a painted image. Due to its shape, it is ideal for framing and is used as a painting or wall panel, as well as for decorating tables, vases, boxes, and other items. Historically, porcelain paintings did not appear immediately, as after the discovery of porcelain, methods of processing and suitable paints for the new material had to be developed. The first ceramics, created almost twenty thousand years ago in China, did not have any patterns and were used exclusively for household or ceremonial purposes. Several Chinese dynasties passed before the world saw not only true porcelain, but also colorful products made from it. The paints and methods of protecting them were discovered and developed gradually as porcelain production progressed. Since the original discoverers kept all the secrets of porcelain production and painting strictly confidential, each country worked on discovering their own recipes for porcelain mass and painting colors. For example, the largest porcelain factory of the Russian Empire had its own laboratory for creating paints for porcelain painting. Thanks to this, already in the 1830s-1840s, less than a hundred years after the opening of the country's first porcelain factory, porcelain artists reached a high level of skill. They recreated paintings by famous artists such as Raphael, Rubens, or Rembrandt on porcelain. Due to their correct shape, porcelain plaques were often used for creating portraits and icons. In antique items, porcelain plaques can be found as inserts. For example, they were used to decorate rectangular elements of vases, embellish tables, boxes, snuff boxes, and large clocks, which gave the items a special beauty and elegance. Advantages of painting on porcelain Porcelain paintings have certain advantages.In comparison to regular oil canvases or watercolors, porcelain paintings have many advantages. This is largely due to the properties of porcelain and its firing process. 1. Unlike canvas or paper, porcelain is a durable and long-lasting material that is not susceptible to decay or decomposition. This means that porcelain paintings will not fade over time and will not require complex restoration. 2. Paint on canvas and paper can crack or fade over time. Porcelain paintings are protected from such damage by the firing process and the glaze used in underglaze painting. The colors on porcelain remain vibrant and deep for many years. 3. A regular painting can be easily torn, damaged by water, or lost in a fire. However, porcelain is not afraid of such challenges, except that it can be broken. Interestingly, some porcelain replicas have outlived the originals. For example, the porcelain sculpture "Penitent Mary Magdalene" has survived to this day, while the original painting by Batoni was destroyed during World War II. 4. Porcelain paintings are easy to care for, as they are not only resistant to water but also many cleaning agents. They can withstand some aggressive substances. As is known, famous works of art have been attacked multiple times at exhibitions. For example, the Mona Lisa in the Louvre was splashed with acid in 1956 and hot tea in 2009. In this sense, porcelain paintings have noticeable advantages over standard paintings. 5. Due to the plastic properties of porcelain and the features of firing, it is possible to create paintings with relief decoration, achieving low or high relief. In oil painting, a slight relief requires the application of a large number of paint layers, which can lead to cracking in the future. The price for the numerous advantages of porcelain paintings is the complexity of their production. While an artist can complete a simple painting from start to finish, painting on porcelain requires special techniques.The process requires high-quality materials, expensive equipment, strict adherence to all technologies, and professionals of various professions. As a result, the price is higher compared to paper analogues. Porcelain painting technology Porcelain plates are decorated in two ways: by applying paint to the surface or creating relief decor. Let's consider both options. Colorful decor Porcelain can be painted with colors before or after applying a protective glaze. The technique of painting before glazing is called underglaze painting. It is performed as follows: unglazed porcelain (biscuit - which has undergone primary firing) is used and paint is applied layer by layer. Then the item is covered with glaze and fired in ovens at high temperatures. Since the temperature exceeds a thousand degrees, only heat-resistant paints capable of withstanding such thermal impact are used. Even heat-resistant paints partially burn during firing, which requires layering the paints from dark to light tones. This approach allows the layers to become transparent after firing, opening up new artistic possibilities. The use of colored glazes also contributes to this. Underglaze painting is a complex technique because some of the paint is absorbed into the biscuit layer, creating unnecessary shades. At the same time, such painting is characterized by soft contours and delicate design. However, to achieve a high-quality image, the master's brushstrokes must be expressive and precise. This technique does not allow for mistakes or corrections. Overglaze painting is done after applying the glaze to the item. Here, artistic possibilities expand due to the lower temperature of the final firing. This allows for the use of a rich palette of colors and achieving a greater range of tones and shades. In particular, various shades of gold can be used to create luxurious items. At the same time, this technique allows for more intricate and detailed designs.The relief is considered less durable than the previous one. This is because the paints applied to the glaze create a slight relief on the surface, which is not protected by the glaze and gradually wears off during frequent use. However, this applies more to dishes and other household items than to paintings. Overglaze technique requires less skill, as it allows for multiple corrections of the unsuccessful drawing before the product is fired. Relief decor involves a deepening of the prepared design in the porcelain. This is done either through the use of special relief forms during the casting of the material or by attaching prepared decor to the porcelain surface. A decor made as a whole unit is more resistant to mechanical impact than attached decor. Relief decor allows for three-dimensional images. This can be done by creating additional volume on the surface, that is, convex images, or concave ones. The price of porcelain plaques is influenced by many factors. In addition to the quality of the porcelain and the painting, as well as the fame of the master, there is also the complexity of the objects containing the plaque. In the years of production, they were offered to buyers not only as paintings, but also as inserts in independent interior items. Below we will consider several sales of different items at major international auctions. Since porcelain was invented and mastered in China long before Europe, Chinese masters have been producing painted porcelain for a long time. Today, their porcelain paintings are widely represented in the market and are in demand. Let's start by looking at examples of maintenance of individual plaques, with frames and without frames. In November 2012, at the auction of the Bonhams auction house, a porcelain plaque by Chinese master Cheng Yiting was presented. This work is done in the characteristic style of Chinese porcelain.In the manner of porcelain painting: with a subtle color palette and a large amount of white space. A porcelain plaque was sold at the auction for 79,000 pounds sterling. At the same auction, another piece of Chinese production was sold for 51,000 pounds sterling. This painting is done in a bright color palette and contains a famous scene from the life of the Chinese people. In the niche of Chinese porcelain painting, individual plaques with and without frames, as well as sets of multiple plaques that complement each other or serve as decoration for the main plaque, are often encountered. Let's consider a few examples. In September 2016, a set of three porcelain plaques by the Chinese master Lu Yucena was sold at the Bonhams auction. The plaques, which are framed in the same way, have different subjects but are united by their themes and are executed in the same style. The set attracted the interest of collectors at the auction and sold for $245,000. A similar set, but with twelve framed plaques, was presented to the participants of the Bonhams auction in March 2013. All the plaques in this work also repeat one theme and harmoniously complement each other. The set was successful at the auction and sold for $27,000. Another example is also a work from the category of Asian art, created in the nineteenth century. Around the central porcelain plaque, there are triangular porcelain plaques designed to complement the composition. The work was presented at Bonhams in March 2011 and sold at the auction for 720 pounds sterling. There are also other variations of plaque framing. For example, an interesting work was presented at the same auction in June 2011. These are two framed porcelain plaques created in the shape of a fan with an imitation of fan folds on the surface of the porcelain. The work was sold at the auction for $194,000. Painting on porcelain by European masters, including painters of the Russian Empire, is of particular interest. These works are characterized by a rich color palette, a variety of shades, and a largeRealism of the image. For example, the porcelain relief "Garden of Love", created after the eponymous painting by Peter Paul Rubens. The painting was made by the masters of the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, KPM). The relief was sold at a Sotheby's auction in November 2017 for 21,000 pounds sterling. Among the works of Russian masters, for example, there is a porcelain painting depicting Emperor Nicholas I. It is attributed to the famous Imperial Porcelain Factory (IFZ) and was sold at a Bonhams auction in June 2013 for 6,000 pounds sterling. We have considered only a few examples of the sale of porcelain paintings at auctions to demonstrate the demand for them. In general, this type of antique porcelain periodically appears at auctions and is presented in different price categories ranging from a few thousand rubles to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Where to buy or sell porcelain paintings If you wish to add porcelain reliefs to your collection or make a gift to a loved one, we suggest buying porcelain paintings on our website. In case the desired relief is not available in our catalog, we can arrange a search for it through our sources. If you would like to sell a porcelain panel or painting, we suggest doing so in our gallery. For this, you need to familiarize yourself with the conditions of consignment sales, send us photos and descriptions of your antique relief. The advantages of selling through our website, artpicture.ru, are that your antiques will be seen by a larger audience of antique art enthusiasts. This will increase the chances of making a profitable deal for you. To clarify the details of the sale, order an expertise on a porcelain relief, or for any other questions, please contact us by phone: +7 (495) 743-33-22.
