Fig. 130.—Berlin Porcelain.
When Frederick took Dresden, the porcelain-works at Meissen were temporarily suspended. He had an eye to understand the value of the porcelain industries, and he took measures to grace his capital and increase the wealth of Prussia by establishing a great manufactory at Berlin. He carried off from Meissen some of the best examples of the porcelain collection, transported to Berlin tons of the fine clay, and borrowed the best workmen and the most distinguished artists for his new factory; among these the names of Meyer, Klipsel, and Böhme, are mentioned.
The Berlin productions soon rose into fame and obtained a wide circulation. Not only did the king spread the work abroad by means of exquisite presents; he also took measures at home to secure a market. He ordered that no Jew should marry until he had provided himself a sufficient outfit of porcelain from the royal manufactory. Now, the Jew does not like to waste his money, and he at once sought a market for the wares he had been forced to buy. All this advertised and spread abroad the excellent work.
During the collapse of Meissen, Russia became a large customer for Berlin; and its finished and elegant dinner-services went into her palaces and mansions. The best work of Berlin equals the best work of Dresden; its paste is more creamy, and some of its painters were not excelled. A favorite decoration at Berlin was the small Watteau figure-pieces, painted in medallions or reserves. Its examples of pierced or open-worked border plates are excellent.
In Fig. 130 are two examples of these, from Mr. Prime’s collection, which are perfectly painted in the naturalistic way. So, too, is the tureen, which has finely-modeled heads for handles, which yet are unsatisfactory. This is one piece of a large dinner-service.
Berlin porcelain ranks high, and good specimens bring good prices.
Two factories continue to produce fine porcelain—one at Berlin, and one at Charlottenberg, which was founded in 1790—and both are under the direction of the state.
The Berlin factory grew to such importance in the last century that it employed seven hundred workmen.
The prices paid for some pieces of Berlin porcelain at the Bernal sale were as follows:
| A Berlin coffee-pot, with river-scene and landscape | £5 | $25 00 | |
| A plate, with Salmacis and Hermaphroditus, gold border, | 13 | 10s. | 67 00 |
| A cup and saucer, deep blue, with female busts in red, on gold ground | 4 | 10s. | 22 00 |
| A cup and saucer, with pink festoon border and exotic birds | 1 | 10s. | 7 50 |
| A cup, cover, and stand, pink, with black medallions of the Princess de Lamballe and her cipher | 5 | 15s. | 29 00 |