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Royal Copenhagen Porcelain
The history of Royal Copenhagen Porcelain begins in 1775 with the founding of a factory in Copenhagen, Denmark. Also known as the Royal Porcelain Factory, it was begun by Franz Heinrich Muller, a Danish chemist. With the blessing of Queen Juliane Marie, he was extended a monopoly on the creation of porcelain .
Europeans were eager to have access to the hard porcelain whose formula the Chinese had guarded for many centuries. Termed white gold, the Europeans desired the delicate hard porcelain pieces made with the creamy white glazing. Following the founding of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain factory, one of Europe's first porcelain factories, the Royal Family of Denmark was able to enjoy the exquisite porcelain pieces manufactured at the site.
The beginning of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain factory was not without its pitfalls, however. Amidst a lack of reliable sources for raw materials, novice workers, botched experiments. Firings gone wrong sent the young factory into dire financial straits. In 1779, King Christian VII assumed control of the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory.
The majority of the porcelain manufactured at the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory was fired at extremely high temperatures, only after being painted blue. This process of under-glazing meant the porcelain only needed to be fired once in order to ensure the correct fusion of glaze and material. This distinctive design, along with the Royal Copenhagen porcelain mark, became synonymous with fine Danish porcelain.
The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain mark is distinctive indeed. Symbolizing the three straits of Denmark, the Great Belt, Oresund, and the Little Belt, it is comprised of three wavy lines, in horizontal rows beneath the crown. The inclusion of the crown was a tribute to the role the Royal Family of Denmark had in the creation of Royal Copenhagen Porcelain.
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In 1790, King Christian VII ordered the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain factory to produce a magnificent dinnerware set for the Queen of Russia, Catherine the Great. This hand painted porcelain set comprised more than 1,800 pieces. Royal Copenhagen porcelain worked to perfect this extraordinary dinnerware set for 12 years. The design was given the name of Flora Danica. With its delicate and gilded edges and floral influences, this Blue Fluted design, as it became known, it is easily recognized as an excellent example of the work of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain factory.
Following a difficult period of little to no production during, and immediately after, the Napoleonic Wars, production resumed at the Royal Copenhagen factory. In 1851, the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory was invited to display an exhibition of their fine porcelain pieces during the World Exhibition held in France at the Crystal Palace.
The fall of the monarchy in Denmark in 1849 meant the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory became a private endeavor. Although the Industrial Age had come, the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory continued to concentrate on making quality, hand painted pieces of porcelain rather than churn out mass produced pieces. Such attention and dedication to detail earned the Royal Copenhagen porcelain a place at the World Exhibitions in both 1889 and 1900 where it won numerous prizes and awards both times.
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