The Meissen Collectors Catalogue
Hopefully you would have purchased my Meissen Tradesman Catalogue. There is a reason I am saying this as it contained 1704 black and white Images(colour images had not really been invented for book publication at the time the two publications were made). The catalogues were for sole use of the Meissen Manufacturer’s Salesman’s Inventory to show off the finest and most popular pieces that they made. Why there is a need for any collector of 19th century Meissen to own one of the catalogues is because identifies with the finest quality that Ernst August Leuteritz produced for the 1904. The 1911 catalogue included the most popular items of the Art Nouveau period.
Owning both of these catalogues enabled me to publish the Meissen Collectors Catalogue. However it would be an exhaustive search covering two continents for me to eventually find both Tradesman Catalogues. The 2nd edition cost me £340 and the 1st edition $1,400.
Once I owned both catalogues I then had to correlate and identify each and every original modeller to each of the pieces made. This became a Herculaneum task since it required hundreds of hours cross checking references in hundreds of books and manuscripts in museums and libraries in London.
The following images are samples taken from the original black and white images taken in 1904 and 11. and not the antique collectors club’s publication.
The following are a selection of images taken from pages of the original Tradesman’s catalogue.
I shall be offering a limited free service until the end of May where you can send an image to [email protected] and if your item is illustrated in the catalogue I will be able to identify the name of the piece the original modeller and circa date.
After June 1st 2021 a £10 fee will be applicable to each individual search. This will be reduced to £5 for each item is there are more than five items. See below what information you will receive in the sample search provided.
Pair of groups first modelled by Schoenheit J2 in 1775 and J3 in 1785.
Model no J3 The Wine Press is 35cm high. Model no J2 The Vine Dressers is 30cm high. The quality of the pair photographed determines they are of the highest quality and were therefore modelled by Ernst August Leuteritz circa 1880.
Quality Rating: Exceptional.
However the Quality of 19th century Meissen was at its peak in 1880, deteriorated to find in 1990(with the exception of artists who were invited by Meissen to model an item at the factory where their workmanship was exceptional).
Circa 1860-70 Models are generally “fine Quality”; Circa 1850 average quality. Circa 1815-40 “poor quality”. During the period of poor quality the painting of the blue crossed swords mark is often found on an unglazed base; is often smudged and doesn’t identify with authentic Meissen models.
I shall be posting a blog page next month about recognising the different qualities in 19th century. I shall be posting a note as to when in advance of this page being able to be viewed.
Original Photographs.
Taken from the full page:You can see two groups sitting either side of the above groups are a pair as they are modelled facing each other. On this page are also found other genres of subject matter. I shall be listing all the different subject matter that appears in the catalogues. This will help you identify with the different models relating to a particular set or series or theme such as romantic figures and groups
In the catalogue page seen below are series. Contained within some series are individual pairs.
