Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection)

Overview

The Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) in the Zwinger is one of the most comprehensive ceramic collections in the world, with over 20,000 pieces spanning Chinese, Japanese, and Meissen porcelain. Augustus the Strong was famously obsessed with porcelain, calling it his 'maladie de porcelaine.'

Highlights

• Dragon Vases: Monumental Chinese blue-and-white vases that Augustus traded for a regiment of soldiers.
• Meissen Animal Figures: Life-size porcelain animals created by Johann Joachim Kändler in the 1730s.
• Böttger Stoneware: The earliest European hard-paste porcelain, produced in Dresden from 1708.

History

Augustus the Strong began collecting porcelain decidedly after 1700. He also founded the Meissen porcelain factory in 1710 (Europe's first) after alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger cracked the formula. The Zwinger collection was first displayed in 1717.

Visitor Tips

• Closed Mondays.
• Included in the Zwinger combined ticket.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.