A pair of porcelain figures "Shepherd and shepherdess"

Description

A theology student called Georg Heinrich Macheleidt received permission from the regional prince in Germany to set up a porcelain manufacturing company in the small town of Sitzendorf. In 1760, the first porcelain factory was established. It was moved to Volkstedt in 1762. The actual manufacturer of figurines began in the town of Sitzendorf in 1884 though the factory began working with porcelain in 1850. By 1809, the company had a second factory and had introduced steam power that helped them employ a total of 300 employees in two factories in a town with a population of 700. The factory remains in operation into the present day. There are several distinct periods in the management history of the factory. The porcelain manufacture was reestablished in Sitzendorf in 1850 by Wilhelm Liebmann who held control over the establishment until a fire in 1858 gutted the factory building and led him to retire. The factory was rebuilt and reopened under the Voigt brothers management. Alfred and Carl ran things until 1896 when Albert Schonau ran the company as a public corporation with stock valued at a million German marks. This lasted until 1932 when the factory nearly collapsed under the weight of socioeconomic depression. Porcelain bearing indications of manufacture before 1932 are most prized by collectors. Post 1932 until the early 1970s marks another period which provides the market for the more recent and thus more accessible (and thus less valuable) porcelain pieces. There are two leading indicator marks on genuine Sitzendorf porcelain. The blue crown over the letter S with a double cross slash mark is one and the double cross slash alone is the other. Both are in a deep blue and appear on all items from the Sitzendorf factory. There may be accompanying marks such as: “GERMANY” stamp on the bottom or a production number or code. The marks represent three distinct stages in the life history of the Sitzendorf factory. The oldest mark includes the Germany stamp and dates from 1884 to 1896. The blue mark with the crown dates from 1902 to 1972 and the other blue mark dates from 1954 to the present day. The double slash mark alone is one of the earliest marks dating back to when the Voigts were in charge of production. Sitzendorf porcelain includes not only figurines but vases, lamps, dolls, bowls, mantle mounts, wall brackets, compotes and urns (to name a few). All are well colored, highly ornate and more collector items than practical products. They are representative of the Dresden style of porcelain. Dresden style porcelain is distinguished by the use of flowers, shells, fruits, leaves and scroll work. The actual porcelain is so white it is almost translucent and often includes a gold edging. Sitzendorf is just one of the German porcelain makers referred to as Dresden.

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