62 German Manufacturers –→ Table of Contents French patent had no validity in Germany. The technique that had been developed by KPM Berlin was one of the methods described in Bourgoing’s patent and was therefore accessible to any interested party under certain conditions. In addition, Meissen employed extremely competent porcelain craftsmen who would have been able to master new design techniques within a short period of time. The dissertation of B. Kovalevski reports on the production of the first lithophanes during the period up to and including November 1828: “In fact, the following items are attested to in a log book for the ‘White Corps’ department: a ‘transparent box’ with base (Mold No. S 21) in July 1828, a second in November (Mold No. S 26), and a bell-shaped lampshade (Mold No. S 28). The model for the transparent box was made by the ‘plaster etcher’ (Gipsradierer) Däbritz, the motifs for the bell-shaped lampshade (bas-relief group for the light screen) by the modeler Johann Daniel Schöne.”102 Furthermore: “The modeler […] Habenicht received an especially large number of orders for the carving of wax models for light screens. For example, in November 1828, C. G. Habenicht produced 5 translucent vessels of the numbers S 21 and 26, as well as 22 light screens with landscapes and 9 with figures, one light screen of No. 1 Johannes (John) and seven with the No. 13 Mädchen am Ziehbrunnen (Girl at Well). The repairers Karl G. Knäbig and Johann G. Schiebell [sic] produced 70 light screens with landscapes, the molder Johann G. Schröder 77 oval light screens, and the plaster etcher Christian G. Däbritz 24 model panels for light screens. The latter would have been the plaster molds required for the production of the porcelain plaques and made either from carved wax panels or from purchased models.”103 It is also worth noting that Johann Gottlieb Schiebel (born 1775), who began working as a repairer in Meissen in 1793, produced wax reliefs, including “a portrait of the king of Saxony.”104 The museum guide Schauhalle Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen from 1994, 3rd Edition (page 74/75), includes a “lithophane lampshade by Schiebel with an angel motif from the Sistine Madonna by Raphael, biscuit, white.” However, the year of manufacture quoted by the guide (1827) is incorrect. The correct date is 1828. In the final days of the year, the king reaffirmed his commitment to lithophane production and called for “a higher quality than the French models.”105 ■■ 1828 In the period from 1828 to 1844, the following lithophanes were produced in their first editions: 1828 Nos. 1–13 (until November)106 1830 No. 82 (until September 21st)107 1834 Nos. 111, 112 1836 Nos. 124–126, 131, 139 as well as a vase with lithophane decoration 1837 No. 140 and a bell-shaped lampshade with lithophane motifs 1838 Nos. 151–153 and a bell-shaped lithophane lampshade for lanterns 1839 Nos. 154–157, 165, 167 1840 Nos. 168 – 172 1841 Nos. 173–177, 182, 183 1842 Nos. 184 – 186, 188 1843 Nos. 189 – 191 1844 Nos. 192 – 196108 The motifs that were used for these works corresponded to contemporary tastes and, in many cases, were identical to the competitors’ motifs. However, Meissen produced very few lithophanes with portraits or with genre art showing life in aristocratic circles. The low quality of the early lithophanes suggests that the production techniques used in the early days were still relatively unsatisfactory: 1 Object: rectangular lithophane plaque, white-painted wooden stand with silver-colored metal strips Dimensions: lithophane 8.0 × 11.4 cm (3 ⅛ × 4 ½ in.), stand with adjustable height from 24.5 cm (9 ⅝ in.) Material: biscuit, white, coarse modeling, light gray-sepia tone in transmitted light, average translucency, warped plaque edges Motif: Zwei Kühe in Landschaft (Two Cows in Landscape) Markings: on back, plaque number 6 e incised upside down at top left Source: Collection “S” Wuppertal Information: Lithophane Numbers 6a to 6h are apparently copies of lithophanes from the French manufacturer AdT. → Fig. p. 63 For many years, there was confusion over the marking of Meissen’s lithophanes. Most people associate the Meissen manufactory with the crossed swords mark. However, this mark appears very rarely on lithophanes from the 19th century. The few plaques that were marked have a hidden (stylized) crossed swords mark. A general lack of knowledge about Meissen’s production of unmarked lithophanes led to the assumption that lithophanes from Meissen were extremely rare. This is not the case. The plaque numbers were incised on the back surfaces of early lithophanes and can be compared with price lists to identify plaques with certainty. However, it is important to bear in mind that KPM Berlin also used incised plaque numbers in the early days. These can resemble the Meissen marks. The fact that so many Meissen lithophanes were produced without easily identifiable factory marks is apparently associated with the fact that, for many years, the factory experienced difficulties developing an appropriate body. The body that was used until 1844, a normal biscuit made from Sosa clay,109 did not satisfy the special requirements of lithophane production. The resulting problems are evidenced by the poor quality we see in many of the first-edition lithophanes, which often have a rough surface and a reduced, cloudy translucency. Many were warped in the firing process. The body has a grayish to brownish-yellow appearance in transmitted light. This may also explain why Meissen’s painting department head Kersting, who was most likely responsible for the selection of images and their cropping, generally chose motifs that filled the entire area of the lithophane with no empty spaces or delicate designs.110 These lithophanes differed from the products made with the biscuit body from KPM Berlin, which were generally whiter, smoother, and homogeneously translucent, even in areas of the image with mini-
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