PROFILE Augarten
Augarten A
ugarten porcelain is world- famous for its delicate and graceful shape, its clean lines and exquisite details. Combining sophisticated craftsmanship, artistic design
and the latest technical equipment, Augarten uniquely blends time-honoured tradition with a contemporary approach to art. The fi nest porcelain is still produced and painted by hand in our manufactory at Augarten castle just as it has always been. Located at the geographical crossroads of European cultures and as one of the oldest European names in porcelain, Augarten Wien has symbolised the continuity of timeless Viennese tradition, art and culture for almost 300 years. The Augarten in Vienna – the city’s oldest Baroque park – has been home to fi ne arts since its foundation. The Vienna Porcelain Manufactory Augarten has been based in one of the halls in the palace since 1923, when its name was also changed to refl ect the new location. In around 1717, Claudius Innocentius du
Paquier, a Dutch secret agent in the employ of Emperor Karl VI, completed a risky mission to bring the closely guarded secret of how to make porcelain from Meissen to Vienna. In recognition of his achievements, in May 1718 Emperor Karl VI granted du Paquier the privilege of being the sole porcelain producer in Austria and its crownlands. Porcelain from this time remains highly collectible today, and the items are highly prized by collectors worldwide.
In 1744, the Manufactory was taken under Imperial ownership by the forward-looking Empress Maria Theresia. Since then, every piece of porcelain produced by Augarten has borne the shield of the Babenberg family underneath the glaze to confi rm its authenticity. Pressure from
‘MANU FACTUM EST’
The ‘white gold’ from Vienna has been lovingly moulded and shaped, glazed and painted by hand ever since; every single item of fi nest Augarten porcelain is just unique now as it was then. Augarten has a large number of patterns at its disposal, with the oldest one that is still painted today known as ‘Dubsky’, created in around 1720. The most recent pattern is just a few weeks old.
Every single pattern is painted by hand and tells its own story. It takes three years to train as a porcelain painter, but masterpieces require many years of experience and a special fl air achieved only by master painters. The highlight of many patterns is the 24 carat gold or platinum gilding, which exudes luxuriousness. The Vienna Manufactory has a product range comprising more than 25,000 different items of porcelain.
Handmade porcelain in Vienna
major industry fi nally forced the company to close down in 1864. Sixty years later, on May 2, 1923, the
porcelain manufactory was reopened in its new location at Augarten Palace. Established as a limited company under the new name ‘Vienna Porcelain Manufactory Augarten’, its ethos was to continue the tradition of the former Imperial manufactory while also breaking new ground. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was primarily artists of the Vienna Workshops (Wiener Werkstätte), such as Josef Hoffmann, Michael Powolny, Ena Rottenberg, Wally Wieselthier and Ida Schwetz- Lehmann, that injected many new ideas into the company. More than 200 new styles and fi gures stem from this period. The company still likes to work with contemporary artists today, with young designers increasingly being integrated into the development process to ensure that the company keeps its fi nger on the pulse. The site in Vienna’s Augarten Park is currently
being renovated. From 2011, a porcelain museum and catering facilities will round off the company’s offering for visitors from around the world. The manufactory is currently under private Austrian ownership.
The variety is stunning, taking in everything from thimbles to fl oor vases 80cm tall and from Baroque mocha cups to contemporary egg cups.
In addition to the “standard program”, the manufactory also produces special masterpieces that present a real challenge and can only be made by real masters. These include very time-consuming fi gurines, fl oor vases in dimensions that require special know-how and skills, or paintings that bear the signature of the master painter and are real works of art in their own right. One of the key strengths is in the production of custom-made porcelain, tailored to the particular requirements of a customer. These can be special patterns, shapes or objects all made to order. Top priority is to ensure the highest quality and perfection in the production of every single item of porcelain, which, after gold, has been one of the best investments for centuries. The Vienna Porcelain Manufactory Augarten uses environmentally-friendly and sustainable processes to produce items of craftsmanship made in Austria.
www.augarten.at
48 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
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