Meissen Figurines Are Back in Vogue

they may look old-fashioned, but that is precisely why people like them. Major decorative arts companies now mass-produce Meissen porcelain figurines. An emotional, nostalgic appeal, a reinterpretation of bourgeois codes by contemporary culture and, sometimes, a touch of humor are winning over young collectors. Meissen’s leading figure was Johann Joachim Kändler (1706-1775), who raised porcelain to the level of great art and made it the 18^th century’s favorite material for small sculptures—it was much more flexible than wood, ivory or bronze. He had an unmatched skill for making animals look alive by giving them their characteristic movement with a specialist’s precision.
 

Some of Kändler’s animal sculptures are over one meter high.