Museum

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Meissen Museum

The Museum of the Meissen Porcelain Foundation displays works from the manufactory’s 300 years of history. The collection tells the rich story of Europe’s oldest porcelain manufactory.

“Pining For The Far-Away” Touring the World in Porcelain Exhibition

There is a long tradition of pining for the far-away in European porcelain. Three centuries ago, artists at Meissen based their first models of Chinese, Japanese and Persian citizens on travel reports and copperplate engravings.

Europe’s outward-looking princes surrounded themselves with images of distant civilisations, whilst the nimbus of the Orient was captured in figures from the Arabian Nights. The 21st century, meanwhile, sees Indian artist twosome Thukral & Tagra bring the far-away onto Meissen porcelain in a new guise. Conspicuous shapes, exotic colour schemes and fanciful scenes adorn their pieces and also act as an antidote to pining for places we are unable to visit at present on account of the pandemic.

Richard Bampi Prize 2022

7 May – 3 July 2022

Special exhibition in the Museum

Young ceramists resident in Germany will be presenting their unique, innovative work in our Porcelain Museum, a venue that acts as a fittingly glamorous backdrop for superbly crafted Meissen porcelain. You will be able to gain exciting insights into the work of budding artists and at the same time encounter a wealth of contrast between traditional and more modern formal idioms.

Gesellschaft der Keramikfreunde e.V. will be awarding the Richard Bampi Prize, worth €15,000 in total, for the 16th time in 2022. The competition is being run in cooperation with the Meissen Porcelain Foundation and the Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory.

A tour of the exhibition is included in the entrance charge.

Chris Antemann’s great passion for MEISSEN turns 10 years old

15 July 2022 – 26 February 2023

Special exhibition in the Museum

The first collection of one-offs and limited-edition artworks in Meissen porcelain by the American artist Chris Antemann appeared back in 2012. Drawing her inspiration from figurines modelled in the 18th century, she has fashioned several table centres, sensuous figurines, candleholders and vase objects bearing her distinctive stamp. In them, she focuses on the roles men and women play out and parodies everyday scenes, social etiquette and tabus.

The exhibition points up how Antemann’s work ties in with the Manufactory’s own history and sheds light on the contribution her formal vocabulary is making today.

The world‘s first organ made of MEISSEN® porcelain

The world’s first organ to feature pipes made of MEISSEN Porcelain is a consummate example of porcelain art.

Augustus the Strong, founder of the Manufactory, had commissioned an organ with porcelain pipes to be made way back in the early 18th century. It was not until the year 2000 that the job was completed, though.

Guests from all over the world have been succumbing to the magic of music produced by MEISSEN Porcelain pipes ever since.

Listen to the contrast between wooden, metal and porcelain pipes, when they guide through ages like the museum does.

Dates: by prior arrangement
Price: € 200.-/group, € 1.- seating per person if group consists of more than 30 persons
Duration: 15-20 minutes

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The world‘s first organ made of MEISSEN® porcelain

Digitally relive the invention of Europe’s first porcelain

In a new exhibition area, the Museum lets visitors delve into the mysterious origins of Meissen porcelain with the aid of a special multivisual presentation.

Dynamic lighting and vivid projections combine with historical exhibits in finest porcelain and, at their heart, the “Philosopher’s Stone” to bring the space dramatically alive. Text inserts and film sequences allow the Meissen Manufactory’s genesis more than 300 years ago to be interactively experienced – visitors learn much of interest about Johann Friedrich Böttger, famous alchemist and inventor of Meissen porcelain, and those who assisted him. There is no extra charge for this presentation, which can be viewed in either German or English.

„From "Snowball Blossoms" and the "Swan Service" all the way to contemporary sculptures – the Meissen manufactory’s legacy is unparalleled in the history of European porcelain.“

Daily Tours

Demonstration Workshop with Museum

AudioGuide Available in 14 languages:

Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Spanish and Czech

As low as €0.00

Incl. VAT
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manufacTOUR

Gain some captivating impressions by joining us on a tour of discovery through the Manufactory’s production sites that will allow you to experience the cultural asset that is Meissen porcelain in a particularly intense way.

We are very sorry, this tour through our production area is in German. Booking for groups in English is available, please kindly contact our visitor service.

As low as €40.00

Incl. VAT
booking