Meissen for Aristocrats

The Ralph Hänig Collection is without doubt one of the most significant collections of 18th-century Meissen porcelain today, commissioned by the kings of Poland and Electors of Saxony August II and August III, either for their own use or as diplomatic gifts to other royal houses in Europe. A large part also comprises personal orders by noblemen who sought to grace themselves with this new status symbol—among them Elector Clemens August of Cologne and the Prussian king Friedrich II. This new catalogue of the collection, which also includes Böttger stoneware and Böttger porcelain featuring painted coats-of-arms, presents all significant styles of decoration from Meissen’s early period as well as heraldic marks. It thus offers the reader the opportunity to gain vivid insight into a key episode of Saxon-Polish history. Text in English and German.