Meissen Porcelain

Soon afterwards the first European porcelain factory was founded in Meissen. The factory was to play a major part in achieving Augustus II the Strong’s dream of building a Japanese palace to house his collection of Asian and Meissen porcelain. European royal courts and other members of the elite had been collecting porcelain imported from Asia since the 16th century. The production of this ‘white gold’ in Europe was one of the most important developments in the history of European applied arts. The Rijksmuseum holds one of the most significant collections of Meissen porcelain, including several key objects from the factory’s early output from the collection of Margarethe and Franz Oppenheimer.