Meissen Pilgrim Figure
- Item No.
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Item Details
- Height:
11 3/8" Inches - Period:
19th Century - Origin:
Germany/Prussia
This beautiful Meissen porcelain figure features a female pilgrim holding a scallop shell, representative of St. James the Great. Those who have made the journey known as "The Way of St. James" use the shell to represent the sea shore where James stood when Jesus called him to follow his teachings. Excellent condition.
Provenance:
The Maridon Museum, Butler, Pennsylvania
The figure bears the Meissen blue "crossed swords" mark and the incised number "680.X1"
Late 19th / Early 20th century
11 3/8" high
Provenance:
The Maridon Museum, Butler, Pennsylvania
The figure bears the Meissen blue "crossed swords" mark and the incised number "680.X1"
Late 19th / Early 20th century
11 3/8" high
Meissen: The Allure of Continental Porcelain
Early in the 18th century, Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony, arrested alchemist Johann Friedrich Bottger and imprisoned him in the town of Meissen; his mission, to discover the secret formula for hard paste porcelain. In 1708 Bottger unlocked the mystery and found the key to both porcelain and his freedom, and by 1718 factories began springing up across Europe fostering an atmosphere of ferocious competition.
By 1720, the Meissen factory was producing wares that eclipsed even the finest Chinese porcelain. They dominated the European market and influenced porcelain production around the world.
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