(pronunciation:) my-sin, emphasis on my.
(For those who are interested, in German, when you see the combination of an “i” and an “e”, the sound is the long version of the second vowel: ie is a long e as in me, ei is a long i as in my.)

Founded in 1710, Meissen has continually produced table china and ornamental ware until today. Over the three centuries of its production, the high quality and artistic value of its products has made Meissen desirable to collectors and connoisseurs. Many collections, originally built by titled families, are now in museums, as well as collections created by the wealthy the world over. Meissen established their own museum in 1916, and added a new visitor’s center in 2005. It includes demonstration workshops where visitors can see how the base pieces are molded and how intricate additions are added to form the final piece.

Meissen has its own dealer network, but most Meissen is sold by many, many individuals and entities, both new pieces and on the secondary market. Meissen holds its value better than most porcelain, but finding a buyer who will pay what you want for it is a challenge. Seconds are available on market, so beware.

Many books have been published on the history and products of Meissen, including prices. For an accurate value, you will probably have to talk to a china or antiques dealer.

To see Meissen listings on eBay, go to my Squidoo lens on the subject.

My opinion: Really pricey. Some of their collectible figures are schmaltzy; the monkey orchestra is just weird. The small animals are very well done. One special figurine will do, pick carefully, let someone else buy it. If you get the collecting bug, prepare for a lot of peanut butter sandwiches.

* * * Use plate racks to display some of your plate collection. * * *

Product lines:
Tableware: 27 patterns are in production today, including the famous patterns of Blue Onion, Purple Rose, Vine leaf, and several nice dragon patterns.  Other patterns include those with a central flower and relatively plain border, a couple of all-white patterns, patterns of plain colored or gold bands, some complicated floral patterns, etc. See more about Meissen china patterns.
Ornamental ware: vases, bells, small wall shelves called a “console”, wall plaques, mirrors, pictures, animals.
Limited Editions: vases, small plates, covered boxes, wall plaques, tea sets, animals.
Figurines: historical styles from high and low society, children, animals.
Accessories: relatively plain: vases, tea caddy, serving dishes, candlesticks, bells, medals, paper knife
Modern Art: figures, bowls, candlesticks modeled in a modern style, an unusual clay body or with a modern painting style.
Special orders will be produced on request (and no doubt a hefty down payment).

Prices:
Meissen produces an occasional small piece under $300. The sky’s the limit on the top end.
Place settings in tableware run from $400 up. Individual pieces predominate, and simpler pieces are sometimes under $100.
Remember: you are working against monetary exchange rates.

Collector’s Society:
Meissen Club: Membership allows you to purchase the exclusive Collector’s editions. On enrollment you receive a porcelain goblet with the crossed swords logo. Printed materials about the company history (in German) and free admission to museum for member and one guest are included in the membership. You must have a European correspondence address to join.

The official company site is:

http://www.meissen.de/# (in development) or

http://friedrich.meissen.com/?lang=1 (for the legacy site in English)

The legacy site has a brief explanation of their process, information about the museum, and a catalog of items currently in production. For other items, you must go to china dealers or antique venues.

History
The original factory was established in 1710 in Albrechtsburg, Saxony, then moved to Meissen (near Dresden) in 1861. Miessen was the first European production factory of hard paste porcelain equal to the Chinese porcelains imported by the Dutch East India Company. Once the process was understood, the factory was established to take advantage of the local deposits of kaolin and potter’s clay.  The factory also produced other kinds of ceramics at the beginning.

The original red stoneware held crisp details when molded, and those products were followed by hard white porcelain glazed and painted. The first porcelain products were based on Baroque silver forms and Chinese ceramics imported by the Dutch East India Company. The first successful porcelains were decorated with gold only, but were soon followed by multi-colored enamels, which are still used today.

The “Meissen blue” under-glaze was developed in the mid-18th century and remains a Meissen secret to this day. Detailed landscapes, animals, figures, flowers, court scenes, paintings by Watteau and fictional “Chinese” scenes are painted in reserve areas of pieces covered in Meissen blue. Meissen has also produced solid color porcelain that is sold to outside studios for enamel painting.

Over the years Meissen has created Rococo pieces with elaborate decorations of flowers, frills and putti. Figures in the 18th-century style continue in production, with an occasion remodeling. Lacework on figures is made by dipping actual lace in slip. When fired, the lace burns away but form remains. One of the most famous products of Meissen is the large animals in white modeled by Johann Joachim Keandler in the mid- 18th century, and they continue to be sought after today. In the second half of the 18th century, Neoclassical figures in matte bisque, resembling marble started in were production. Meissen also produces a number of motifs with dragons, including the purple dragon vase.

The Meissen factory began using a logo of crossed swords on each item in 1720. Beginning in 1763, mold numbers were impressed in the wares. The changes in the logo over three centuries are used to date Meissen wares since similar figures have been produced throughout the history of the factory.

The original tableware was plain. Meissen introduced the concept of a complete matching set of tableware in the 1720s. Molds made in 1730s are still in use today, so you can have the same set of china as ruling heads of state in Europe if you want. The popular pattern “Blue Onion” (“zwiebelmuster” in German) been made at Meissen for 3 centuries, and copied by 60 other companies over time. It name has become to integral to china that it was declared in 1926 to be in the public domain and not a Meissen-only pattern name. Other companies have also marked their product with “Meissen” so the only way to tell true Meissen Blue Onion is by the logo and mold number.

Most of this information is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meissen_porcelain

Please go there for more information about Meissen.

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