Meissen

Europe's first hard-paste porcelain was fired at Meissen in 1710, after Johann Friedrich Böttger — an alchemist detained by Augustus the Strong to make gold — instead cracked the Chinese secret of true porcelain. The manufactory that grew beside the Albrechtsburg castle set the grammar of European porcelain for the next century: the crossed swords of its mark, painted in underglaze blue since 1722, are among the oldest trademarks in continuous use.

Collectors look to Meissen for the great modelling of Kändler, for the Zwiebelmuster (Blue Onion) pattern copied by half of Europe, and for a quality of paste and painting that survives two centuries of imitation. Marks matter: sword forms, pommels and incised numbers date a piece within decades, and the factory's own 'defect strokes' across the swords honestly record seconds.