Meissen "Salami plates"
Underglaze blue swords marks / neither impressed marks nor numbers / Ø 21.8 cm / Meissen 1726
Provenance: The Jules and Anna Porgès Collection
The decoration of the “Salami” plates marks the introduction of gold painting at the Meissen manufactory under Johann Gregorius Höroldt. Until March 1726, all porcelains still had to be sent to the Dresden workshop of George Funcke, who was responsible for the execution of the gold and lustre decoration. The year 1726 therefore marks a decisive turning point in gold decoration at Meissen.
The "Salami" plates with their splendid decoration have always been among the most popular and rarest porcelains of Höroldt's early period. It marks the beginning of a new era in Höroldt's work. It is the rich and opulent gold decoration in the style of the French ornamentalists in its fine interplay with Höroldt's chinoiseries that set completely new standards for Meissen. This new effect was underlined and emphasised by the extensive use of the so-called Böttger lustre and the expressive floral medallions in the centre of the mirror. This gave these porcelains their name: "Salami plates". Hoffmeister (vol. I no. 54 p. 112) introduced this somewhat casual but apt description from the art trade into the porcelain literature.
