DRESDEN CHINA: A POTTED HISTORY

OR more accurately Meissen. Dresden Porce lain or China more accurately describes an artistic movement like Art Deco or Art Nouveau. To avoid confusion it might be better to call it Böttger China Johann Friedrich Bottger was a tal ented young man, an apprentice chemist and budding alchemist, who came to the attention of the ubiqui tous Augustus the Strong c. 1700.

Augustus employed him, although Böttger had little say in the matter, the king imprisoning him until he produced gold for him.

Instead he produced ‘white gold’, cracking the secret of Chinese porcelain and a factory was built in Meissen, 25km north-west of Dresden. If you want to try it at home you’ll need very fine, pure white clay, alabaster, a decomposed volcanic ‘China Stone’ and quartz.

Visit the Meissen Museum (www.meissen.com). Adults €10, family tickets €23.