“MEISSEN Blue Treasures” is a vivid example of how a historic pattern is given new life, applied to a contemporary dishware design. Transposed onto the “MEISSEN® Cosmopolitan” collection, the animated underwater motifs are themselves based on a sketch by Otto Eduard Voigt from the late 19th century. One of the most important hard-fire, or blue technique painters of his day, Voigt not only defined this genre at MEISSEN, but introduced innovative ideas that would radiate far beyond the manufactory. Many of his designs can still be found in the manufactory’s archives and continue to serve as a source of inspiration for subsequent generations of porcelain artists.
The maritime motifs invite the viewer to discover not only the world under the sea, but also the treasures of Europe’s oldest porcelain manufactory.

From lobsters and seahorses to seashells and fish peeking through a dense thicket of swaying seaweed: since their creation, these underwater motifs have held a particular allure, not least thanks to the lively hand-painted images in Meissen’s signature cobalt blue that capture the designs using fluid, dynamic brushstrokes, similar to the flowing movement of water itself.

The true art of this monochrome painting technique is how it is able to create a wealth of nuance using only a single colour. This requires many years of experience and extreme precision. After all, the paint is applied directly to the unglazed porcelain, making it impossible to correct and leaving no room for error. The piece is then fired and the paint binds to the porcelain. The clear glaze – created using MEISSEN’s own signature formula – is applied before firing, protecting the piece during day-to-day use and making it dishwasher- and microwave-safe.