CHINESE FAMILLE VERTE DISH, JOHANNEUM MARK

Collection of Augustus the Strong of Saxony

Kangxi 1662-1722

The round straight sided deep dish painted in famille verte enamels on a café au lait ground, the center with a

flowering prunus beside rocks on a grassy mound, the flat rim with scattered flora and insects; formerly in the

collection of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland

Condition: 2 very small restored rim chips, one an old gold filled nick

8.25” Diameter

SOLD

#5912

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AUGUSTUS THE STRONG (1694-1733) & JOHANNEUM MARKS

Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland, had an unrivaled passion for Chinese porcelain.

For over 200 years, the secret to Chinese hard paste ceramics had remained unsolved. In 1703, the Polish

king kidnapped a young alchemist, Johann Friedrich Böttger, who has defected from a neighboring state

ruler, by whom he had been commissioned for the impossible task of making gold from base metals – another

quest of the day. Augustus gave Böttger the choice of either coming up with a formula for gold, or the

secret to hard paste (Chinese) porcelain. Böttger chose the latter, and after literally being locked away under

house arrest for 6 years, Meissen was born in 1709 - first with stoneware, and hard paste porcelain in 1713.

Augustus the Strong was so secretive that no one was allowed in or to leave the castle where the new German

porcelains were being made. He would quite often walk in during a firing, demanding that the ceramic be taken

from the kiln for his inspection – exposing the potters to chemical fumes causing madness, blindness and death.

His obsession amassed an unrivaled collection, comprising almost everything Meissen made between 1709

and 1733, as well as an equal amount of Chinese porcelain – all to be housed in the Japanese Palace, which

remained unfinished at his death. In 1715, this collection was named The Royal Porcelain Collection of Dresden,

and although reduced by war and Soviet occupation, still considered to be the most comprehensive and important

collection of its kind in the Western world.

The first inventory taken was in 1721, and accordingly marked with N+ numbers. A second inventory was taken

1770-79, with additions and alterations. In 1876 the collection was moved to the Johanneum building in Dresden -

the porcelain inventory numbers becoming known as "Johanneum marks".

We welcome and encourage all inquiries. We will make every attempt to answer any questions you might have.

For information, call (901) 761-1163 or (901) 827-4668 or email mfcreech@bellsouth.net

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