xxxxxTwo Germans, the alchemist Johann Böttger, and the physicist Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus, discovered the secret of making true porcelain in 1707. Produced at a factory in Meissen from 1710, it became known as Dresden in Britain and Porcelaine de Saxe in France. Its quality and popularity reached its peak in 1730. Other factories then made use of this hard-paste, including Sèvres in France and Chelsea, Darby and Worcester in England. As we shall see, the famous English pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood opened his factory at Burslem in 1760 (G3a).

MEISSEN PORCELAIN IS FIRST PRODUCED 1710  (AN)

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xxxxxItxwas in 1707 that two Germans, the alchemist Johann Böttger, and the physicist Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus, discovered the secret of making hard-paste or true porcelain, only produced, hitherto, by the Chinese. Production was begun at Dresden in Saxony, and was moved to a factory at Meissen, fifteen miles away, in 1710. Known under the name of Meissen in Germany, Dresden in Britain and Porcelaine de Saxe in France, it was similar to that produced in China and dominated the European market for some fifty years.


xxxxxMarked improvements were made in the early years, notably in the ware's translucency and the quality of the figure modelling, and with the growing range of ceramic colours, production and popularity reached its peak in the 1730s. The Meissen factory was at one time owned by the king of Saxony, and the porcelain produced is identified by a distinctive mark - a pair of crossed swords coloured blue.













xxxxxOnce the secret of making hard-paste was out, many other porcelain factories made use of this more durable substance. Notable among these was the factory at Sèvres in France - destined to take a leading role in the industry -, potters in Venice and Vienna, and those producing Chelsea, Darby and Worcester ware in England. However, as we shall see, it was in 1760 (G3a) that the most important man in British ceramic history, Josiah Wedgwood, opened his first factory at Burslem, Staffordshire, and then, in 1768, built his famous plant at Etruria, near Stoke-on-Trent.