BOOKS FOR COLLECTORS
_With Frontispieces and many Illustrations_
_Large Crown 8vo, cloth._
CHATS ON ENGLISH CHINA.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON OLD FURNITURE.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON OLD PRINTS.
(How to collect and value Old Engravings.)
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON COSTUME.
By G. WOOLLISCROFT RHEAD.
CHATS ON OLD LACE AND NEEDLEWORK.
By E. L. LOWES.
CHATS ON ORIENTAL CHINA.
By J. F. BLACKER.
CHATS ON OLD MINIATURES.
By J. J. FOSTER, F.S.A.
CHATS ON ENGLISH EARTHENWARE.
(Companion volume to "Chats on English China.")
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON AUTOGRAPHS.
By A. M. BROADLEY.
CHATS ON PEWTER.
By H. J. L. J. MASSÉ, M.A.
CHATS ON POSTAGE STAMPS.
By FRED. J MELVILLE.
CHATS ON OLD JEWELLERY AND TRINKETS.
By MACIVER PERCIVAL.
CHATS ON COTTAGE AND FARMHOUSE FURNITURE.
(Companion volume to "Chats on Old Furniture.")
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON OLD COINS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.
CHATS ON OLD COPPER AND BRASS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.
CHATS ON HOUSEHOLD CURIOS.
By FRED. W. BURGESS.
CHATS ON OLD SILVER.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CHATS ON JAPANESE PRINTS.
By ARTHUR DAVISON FICKE.
CHATS ON MILITARY CURIOS.
By STANLEY C. JOHNSON.
CHATS ON OLD CLOCKS.
By ARTHUR HAYDEN.
LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD.
NEW YORK: F. A. STOKES COMPANY.
CHATS ON ROYAL
COPENHAGEN
PORCELAIN
[Illustration: OLD COPENHAGEN FIGURE GROUP.
Lady and gentleman in contemporary costume.
_Frontispiece._]
CHATS ON
ROYAL COPENHAGEN
PORCELAIN
BY
ARTHUR HAYDEN
KNIGHT OF THE DANNEBROG
AUTHOR OF
"CHATS ON ENGLISH CHINA," "CHATS ON OLD PRINTS," ETC.
WITH FRONTISPIECE AND 56 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
TOGETHER WITH
ILLUSTRATED TABLES OF MARKS
LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN LTD.
ADELPHI TERRACE
_First published in 1918_
(_All rights reserved_)
TO
WILLIAM PETERSEN, Esq.
AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION OF HIS
PATRIOTISM AND GENEROSITY
IN FURTHERING THE INTERESTS OF ART
AND STIMULATING ANGLO-DANISH FRIENDSHIP.
PREFACE
"A good wine needs no bush" is an old English proverb, and this
is essentially true in regard to the art of the Royal Copenhagen
Porcelain Factory. The late M. Louis Solon, in preparing his colossal
bibliographic work on _Ceramic Literature_, called my attention to the
curious fact that a small pamphlet (some four and a half by five inches
square, of fourteen pages) written by me originally for the _Artist_
magazine in 1902, and reprinted as a guide to the Royal Copenhagen
porcelain exhibit at the Wolverhampton Exhibition in 1902, was marked
"rare" and being sold to collectors for five shillings. M. Solon, with
his usual perspicacity, added: "It looks as though, in its course from
East to West, ceramic painting has deserted its old home to take refuge
in the North. _C'est du Nord aujourd'hui que nous vient la lumière!_"
In 1911, _Royal Copenhagen Porcelain: Its History and Development from
the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day_ was issued by my publisher,
who in bringing out this sumptuous monograph fell under the spell of
the beauty of Copenhagen art. That volume appealed to connoisseurs and
collectors and was welcomed both here, on the Continent, and in America.
It has been thought desirable, in view of the limited circulation of
that volume, to issue a popular edition, which is here presented in a
slightly abridged form with none of the essentials omitted. Many of the
illustrations have not found their way into this gallery. But a brave
array of pictures is given to convey to the general reader, and to
those who have not perused the larger volume, the chief characteristics
of Royal Copenhagen porcelain, and indicate reasons why this factory is
now regarded as the leading factory in Europe.
How many of the great factories of the world can claim two great epochs
in their history? But Copenhagen can do this. The first is the Müller
period (overglaze decoration), when the factory assumed its well-known
mark, in 1775, of the three blue lines indicating the three waterways
of Denmark--the Sound and the Great and Little Belts. The second great
period, the Modern Renaissance (underglaze decoration), practically
commenced in 1885.
The porcelain of this factory has long been held in high esteem.
Admiral Nelson in 1801, when with the British fleet outside Copenhagen,
wrote to Lady Hamilton, "I was in hopes to have got off some Copenhagen
china to have sent you"; and later, "As I know you have a valuable
collection of china, I send you some of the Copenhagen manufacture."
The bowl made at the royal factory in memory of the brave Danes who
fell in the battle of Copenhagen is herein illustrated.
The _Encyclopædia Britannica_ (11th Edition), 1911 (article on
_Ceramics_), awards a high place to the Royal Copenhagen Factory, "the
productions of which are not only famous all over the world, but have
set a new style in porcelain decoration which is being followed at most
of the continental factories."
At the present time museums and private collectors in this country and
in various parts of the world are acquiring Royal Copenhagen porcelain
on account of its artistic character.
Ordinary collectors of porcelain have always been desirous of
selecting a subject which has not been exploited. The Worcester vase
which to-day brings two thousand guineas at Christie's was once bought
when it was new for as many shillings by some person who recognized its
beauty. But in regard to old factories, most of the histories have been
written to extol their work when the factory had closed down for ever.
The lack of contemporary records of English porcelain is particularly
noticeable. It is as though the factories attempted to hide their
personalities, as indeed they did disguise their productions by trade
signs only decipherable by the indefatigable zeal of later generations.
They assumed pseudo-Chinese marks or adopted the crossed L's of Sèvres
and the crossed swords of Meissen, to the confusion of collectors a
hundred years afterwards. It is therefore with no misgiving that in
the present volume modernity receives due consideration. National
recognition for the artist potter comes, alas! often too late.
In passing, we may add that there are some wonderful productions being
made in England to-day, especially in earthenware, and those who are
buying wisely are laying down wine for posterity.
I have to offer my renewed thanks to the various museum authorities,
mainly in Scandinavia, and to private collectors and friends who
were duly acknowledged in my larger volume as being instrumental in
affording me access to data on a new subject.
In that work, although the omission was corrected in the German edition
published at Leipsic in 1912, various notes were embodied and remain in
the present volume, which were supplied to me by correspondents without
any knowledge on my part that they were based on the work of Professor
Nyrop of Copenhagen, who has made assiduous research into the history
of the old Copenhagen factory, and to whom, therefore, a tribute is in
courteous acknowledgment obviously due.
A new chapter has been added to this volume dealing with Copenhagen
Art Faience, the character of which ware has claimed recognition from
competent critics throughout Europe and in America as having brought a
new note into ceramic art.
ARTHUR HAYDEN.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE 9
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 15
CHAPTER
I. THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE COPENHAGEN FACTORY 19
THE FOURNIER PERIOD. SOFT PASTE PORCELAIN (1760-1766)
II. FRANTZ HEINRICH MÜLLER (1773-1801) 41
QUEEN JULIANE MARIE PERIOD (PART I, 1775-1780)
III. FRANTZ HEINRICH MÜLLER (1773-1801)--_continued_ 73
QUEEN JULIANE MARIE PERIOD (PART II, 1780-1796)
IV. FIGURE SUBJECTS AND GROUPS (1780-1820) 111
V. THE _FLORA DANICA_ SERVICE (1790-1802) 137
MADE FOR CATHERINE II, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
VI. EARLY BLUE-AND-WHITE UNDERGLAZE PAINTED 157
VII. THE SUCCESSORS OF MÜLLER (1820-1880) 177
THE DECADENCE
VIII. THE MODERN RENAISSANCE 199
IX. FIGURE SUBJECTS AND GROUPS--RENAISSANCE PERIOD 263
X. CRYSTALLINE GLAZES 289
XI. COPENHAGEN ART FAIENCE 307
XII. THE FACTORY TO-DAY 333
INDEX 347
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
LADY AND GENTLEMAN DANCING. OLD COPENHAGEN FIGURE GROUP
_Frontispiece_
PAGE
CHAPTER I.--EARLY HISTORY OF THE COPENHAGEN FACTORY.
Groups. Fournier Period (1760-1766). Soft-paste Porcelain 25
Vase. Fournier Period (1760-1766). Soft-paste Porcelain 33
CHAPTER II.--FRANTZ HEINRICH MÜLLER (Part I, 1775-1780).
Portrait of Frantz Heinrich Müller 41
Vase with medallion portrait of Queen Juliane Marie 45
Vase with medallion portrait of Crown Prince Frederik 49
Tea and Coffee Service 53
Saucer. Eagle and Lamb 57
Saucer. Water-god 61
Coffee Cups. Rose and spray of flowers: Group of cavalry 65
Cup with Frantz Heinrich Müller in his Laboratory 69
CHAPTER III.--FRANTZ HEINRICH MÜLLER (Part II, 1780-1796).
Sucrier with Cover and Cup 81
Pastille Burner and Cover 89
Octagonal Dish. Man with Hound 93
Tray with oval panel 97