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The Meissen Porcelain Factory was the first European factory to
discover the secret of hard-paste porcelain in the early 18th century.
This covered cup is decorated with Chinoiserie motifs which were
European interpretations of Chinese interiors, furniture, pottery,
textiles and gardens, often depicting fanciful Chinese scenes.Label Type
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The Meissen factory owes its discovery of the secret of making porcelain to Johann Friedrich
Böttger. In the 18th century, King Augustus II kept Böttger in custody to create gold, after he claimed to have solved the centuries-old dream of alchemists of turning base materials into
gold. After several years, Böttger ended up inheriting and refining the recipe to make porcelain
upon the death of a scientist who was then experimenting to create the material. Within a week
he announced to the king that he could make porcelain and thus, the factory was born and
began production.