Meissen mark tercentenary (1722–2022)

The venerable crossed blue swords with which the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory signs its products are a byword the world over for the authenticity and quality of Meissen porcelain. And 2022 sees Europe’s first trademark turn 300!
After the arcanist (person with knowledge of one or more of the secrets of making porcelain) Samuel Stöltzel had fled to Vienna and divulged all he knew, Europe’s second porcelain factory was set up there. Initially, everything from Meissen was copied. The Manufactory’s then inspector, Johann Melchior Steinbrück, responded in November 1722 by proposing that the crossed swords from the Electoral Saxon arms be used as a means of identifying authentic Meissen porcelains.
The crossed blue swords were combined with the now binding manner of writing “Meissen” as of 1972. This is a form of spelling that, for the purposes of rendering the city’s name more readily intelligible internationally, differs from the way it is normally rendered, i.e. “Meißen”, where the letter “ß” actually stands for a double “s” but would be mistaken for a “B” in other languages.
Specially trained painters have continued to apply the sword mark to Meissen porcelains by hand in underglaze cobalt blue up to the present day. But what does this cobalt blue look like before it has been fired? And how fine must the brush be with which the swords are applied? These are questions that are addressed in the section in our demonstration workshops dealing with underglaze painting.

The Meissen Porcelain Museum has designed media stations for this tercentenary year and invites visitors to delve interactively and with great fun into the history of this Meissen mark.