During the two decades following Böttger’s death in 1719, the Meissen Manufactory underwent rapid changes in technology, raw material sources and experimented with various body, glaze and colorant formulations. These rapid changes offer the opportunity for dating objects and reconstructing the evolution of European porcelain using archaeometric techniques. We will report results on the evolution of early Meissen body, glaze, and colorant composition using XRF measurements on three artifacts that are narrowly and reliably dated covering the period between 1723 and ca.1740. Changes in certain minor elements (e.g. Ti, Ba) mirroring the geochemistry of the Erzgebirge region can serve as markers for technological changes during this time. The time line of these compositional changes is interpreted based on an analysis of recipes recorded in the earliest documents of the Meissen Historical Archives. A brief overview of the earliest Meissen archival material will also be given.

Changes in the body, glaze, and enamel composition of early Meissen porcelain during 1723-ca. 1740

2019 Spring National Meeting

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