11. May 2004.

Herend Porcelain Manufactory Ltd. and Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen GmbH stage joint exhibition in Meissen




The Herend Porcelain Manufactory, invited by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, is a guest of the city of Meissen between 13 May and 4 July 2004.

The exhibition is housed in Albrechtsburg, the cradle of European porcelain-making. Impressed by the invention of Johann Friedrich Böttger, Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony, founded the first porcelain manufactory in Europe on 6 June 1710.
The idea of the joint exhibition called "Herend-Meissen, Two European Porcelain Manufactories and Their Native Lands" sprang from Hungary's accession to the European Union.
Both manufactories' items are displayed in two huge Gothic-style halls each and show their immediate surroundings and symbolise their links with the motherland.
No Hungarian exhibition of this kind could possibly do without objects related to the 1848 freedom fight. By the same token, the lifelike porcelain replica of the Hungarian crown is an indisputable must too. The décors of the services on display reflect the main stylistic features characterising Hungarian folk art and architecture.
A set for two featuring the painted panoramic views of Balatonfüred and Tihany constitute a particularly valuable part of the exhibition material. As well as showing off its baroque and rococo style pieces, the Herend Manufactory proudly presents the most outstanding new products of recent years, such as Imre Schrammel's carnival figures and a modern service designed by Pálma Babos.
Last but not least, mention must be made of a unique vase manufactured to commemorate the EU's enlargement.
The vase carries the painted maps of Hungary and Germany, inscribed with the opening lines of the national anthems of each, embedded in a typical Hungarian and at the same time Herend décor.
The vase was presented by Sándor Polányi, managing director of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, to Dr. Hannes Walter, managing director of Meissen.
This joint exhibition is yet another step on the road to further deepening the traditionally good relations between the two manufactories.