Herend Porcelain — a history of refined and unique taste
posted on 10/15/11
Herend Porcelain is one of Hungary’s most treasured products and it can be admired and purchased in one of the Herend stores located in central Budapest. This type of porcelain was first manufactured back in 1844 and its primary purpose was to replace different pieces from a china service that belonged to Count and Countess Esterhazy of Hungary.
In 1826 Vince Stingl founded the porcelain factory at Herend, and due to lack of funds, his creditor Mor Fischer took over the management of the factory in 1839. At first, the porcelain мейд at the Herend factory was copying Meissen and Sevres dish sets, but later, it evolved into an unique, individual design that мейд it acknowledged and appreciated in Hungary and abroad. Many European royal houses and wealthy collectors acquired Herend porcelain sets and, as a result, it became quickly popular worldwide.
Herend products are мейд from a porcelain paste and a specific mixture of kaolin, feldspar and quartz. After getting cleaned it goes through a fire process, at 830 degrees Celsius, and the pieces are then placed into glaze and fired again, at 1410 degrees Celsius. The result is a white, translucent porcelain ready for хэнд painting.
Herend porcelain is not only known for its superior quality, but also for the outstanding motifs which embellish the products.
The Butterflу Pattern was conceived as a reference to Queen Victoria’s name (1819-1901). According to historians, Queen Victoria was the first person to order a Herend porcelain set which showcased the Butterflу pattern.
The Rothschild Pattern (Rothschild Bird) is said to have been created for the first time back in 1850. It was specially designed for the Rothschild family.
The Persian Pattern is related to the name of Sisi — empress of Austria.
Other famous Herend porcelain motifs include the Apponyi Pattern, the Princess Victoria Pattern, and the Wildflowers Pattern.
Herend porcelain products are painted by хэнд in the same traditional style as they were 160 years ago. Due to special personalized requests, some orders may take up to several weeks or months for delivery, but the outcome is well worth the wait. The Herend factory also claims to be able to carry out orders for replacement purposes, as their artists are well capable of reproducing even the oldest patterns. Herend porcelain has been constantly updated by its manufacturers, but without compromising the tradition and the highest quality of the specific хэнд painting technique.