Cup and Saucer

Helena Wolfsohn’s studio

Ca 1880. Porcelain and on-glaze painting

The renowned porcelain painter Helena Wolfsohn worked in Dresden, where she opened her own studio in 1843. She painted decorations on the earthenware of Meissen, as well as the works of other well-known German potteries. Wolfsohn’s name is mainly associated with colourful decorative Meissen’s rococo-style tableware, such as the cup and saucer in the Mikkel Museum.

Helena Wolfsohn’s sign was a hand painted D with a crown. In 1878, the company was sold to new owners, and a calligraphic AR monogram was adopted to mark the products. The monogram had initially belonged to Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony, who founded the Meissen porcelain factory; AR was used as the factory’s mark from 1721 to 1733.
In the years 1740–1750, i.e. during the period upon which Helena Wolfsohn drew for inspiration, the two crossed swords, used even today as Meissen’s sign, were already widely known.

Bottle Vase

Helena Wolfsohn’s studio. Ca 1880. Porcelain and on-glaze painting

The renowned porcelain painter Helena Wolfsohn worked in Dresden, where she opened her own studio in 1843. She painted decorations on the earthenware of Meissen, as well as the works of other well-known German potteries. Wolfsohn’s name is mainly associated with colourful decorative Meissen’s rococo-style tableware, such as the cup and saucer in the Mikkel Museum.
Helena Wolfsohn’s sign was a hand painted D with a crown. In 1878, the company was sold to new owners, and a calligraphic AR monogram was adopted to mark the products. The monogram had initially belonged to Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony, who founded the Meissen porcelain factory; AR was used as the factory’s mark from 1721 to 1733.

In the years 1740–1750, i.e. during the period upon which Helena Wolfsohn drew for inspiration, the two crossed swords, used even today as Meissen’s sign, were already widely known.