A fascinating tale of craftsmanship, inspired early on by the Orient and carried on until today with the latest, more refined and more “fortunate” release.
With a design deeply rooted in its heritage, Meissen carries on with its historical legacy in Fortune Dragon, one of its latest releases which makes use of the brand’s historical emblem: the dragon. The symbol first appeared in red, with gold accents, on the Japanese-inspired Ornate Dragon in 1730, which was initially made exclusively for the Saxon court. Starting in 1858, it was produced for the public – in black, yellow, green, and purple – and from 1918 the original version was also made entirely available.
To the left, the three Meissen dragons: Ornate Dragon, Ming-Dragon, and the latest: Fortune Dragon; to the right, the Vitruv-form Fortune Dragon by Meissen.
At the beginning of the 20th century, another dragon made its way onto Meissen porcelain: Ming-Dragon, one of its most iconic decorations. In this case, the influence came from Chinese mythology, but the designers at the time lacked concrete figurative models which would allow them to perfectly represent the dragon’s details and their hidden symbolic meanings.
In 2022, to pay respect to Oriental iconographic tradition, Fortune Dragon was produced. Created by the Chinese designer Zhuoyu Hou, it featured a new aesthetic, conceptual, and symbolic vision. The refined design enriches the Meissen’s Vitruv line and a series dedicated to home décor. We asked Meissen to give us an inside look at its details.
Fortune Dragon in a tableware mix and match.
Let’s start from the beginning: how did Meissen manufactory get its start?
Meissen was founded in 1710 by August the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and is the oldest porcelain manufactory in Europe. At the time, the secret of “white gold” manufacturing was exclusively limited to China. It wasn’t discovered in Europe until 1708, when Johann Friedrich Böttger and the chemist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus were able to decipher the secret of its production.
August the Strong’s foresight and passion for style brought such a prized Oriental art to the Old Continent. He then made it his own and transformed it into something unique. Production began at Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen (where the name comes from) and in the 19th century it moved to the Valley of Triebish in Meissen. Manufacturing can still be found in the original site and the collections and various lines are still manually crafted throughout all of their steps.
Fortune Dragon by Meissen.
We mentioned the “history of the dragons”: what are some of the characteristics introduced by designer Zhuoyu Hou in Fortune Dragon?
We are proud of our unique and incomparable three dragons: Ornate, Ming, and Fortune Dragon. The latest entry, Fortune Dragon designed by Zhuoyu Hou, noticeably differs from its predecessors. The designer was born and raised in China and understands the ancient symbology and the mythology behind each detail.
The unique and recognizable characteristics of this dragon are the tongue which does not stick out, the tail with hairs, and especially the limbs with five claws (instead of four in previous designs). These new editions to our décor family are not mere embellishments, but are symbols of cultural diversity and artistic heritage. Every detail, every curve, and every claw reflects the passion for art which has driven Meissen for over three centuries.
Table setting with various tableware pieces with the Fortune Dragon decoration.
How many and which pieces make up Fortune Dragon?
The service is an exclusive décor in Meissen’s Vitruv form, which includes charger plates, dinner plates, soup bowls, and various cups—mugs, coffee cups, cappuccino cups, and their respective saucers. Moreover, the same subject is also available on hand-painted vases in various sizes and elegant decorative plates.
To the left, a closeup of the Fortune Dragon tableware; to the right, a vase with new décor by designer Zhuoyu Hou.
What were some of the landmark changes at the table which Meissen faced?
Meissen has taken on every era by producing the best in tableware. Not much has changed since the 18th century, although tableware has become more informal today. Naturally, new forms have emerged, like the mug, but the formal tableware canon remains nearly intact. Over the last three centuries, we have created décors and lines which are still up for sale. Our archive includes over 700,000 pieces and the Meissen Porcelain Museum located at the Meissen headquarters features a collection which is always being updated to give greater visibility to our extensive production lineup.
Where can you purchase Meissen in Italy?
Our collections can be purchased at authorized and select dealers throughout Italy. For further information, contact commerciale@stefaniabaldini.it
Fortune Dragon by Meissen, design Zhuoyu Hou.
In the cover photo, the refined Fortune Dragon décor– photo ©Meissen
