Unknown Artist
Today we present something you might not have expected—a page from an album that is a super rare kind of catalog that the Meissen porcelain factory made for their special (obviously very rich) customers. Following the devastations of World War I, the factory advocated for a return to the preindustrial era's cultural values and high-quality handwork by celebrating its most popular designs. This album, made around 1920 and named Indische Muster ("Patterns from India"), actually has designs that were inspired by old decorations from several Asian countries like Japan, China, and India. A lot of these designs, which are colored by hand and have gold details, have been around since the company started way back in the early 1700s.
Making this album in the 1920s shows how widespread these designs were for a long time. The way it's made, with hand-colored etchings on really good paper, continues a tradition from the 1700s of making special print series and catalogs.
Today we present you this paper treasure because of one thing ... the winged dog! Look how cute he is!
P.S. If you love animals in art (also these fantastic ones:) please check out our Animals in Art - 50 Postcards Set. :)
P.P.S. Chinese porcelain became very popular among Europeans around the 16th century. It was also often depicted in paintings. Just take a look at some of these masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age.