116 The division-of-labour principle was central to the manufactories’ success. Long working hours and low basic wages that could be raised where needed by means of bonuses and other perks made it possible to garner huge profits. This is clearly reflected in the history of the Meissen Manufactory. From 1765, for instance, women were recruited to performwork for which no qualifications were required as a means of keeping wage levels low. They earned significantly less than their male counterparts.1 Women had little scope for working in public enterprises in the 18th and, indeed, into the 19th century. Their education and upbringing were primarily geared to the needs of their husbands and families, thus public activities of any kind were frowned upon. Blue-and-white decoration, a profession which was not all that highly 1 Meissen Porcelain Manufactory wage statistics for 1778 in: Böhmert 1880, p. 69, reproduction.
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