Exclusive Collection Animal figure bear

Augustus the Strong was wholly passionate about porcelain. It was first imported to the Saxon court on merchant ships from East Asia and later produced in his own porcelain manufactory, the first in Europe. From 1725, he had the Dutch Palace on the right bank of the Elbe in Dresden's Neustadt district converted into a four-winged building to present his extensive collection in a manner befitting his rank. In what became known as the "Japanese Palace", the Saxon Elector sought to fulfil his dream of a zoo with porcelain animals, for which he commissioned a large number of figures, mostly life-size. The quantities cited vary. A list from November 1733 mentions an order for 37 different animals (quadrupeds) and 32 different birds, a total of 296 models of animals and 297 of birds. This particular bear was also to find a home here. Large MEISSEN sculptures like these are unique and their production still poses great challenges for the Manufactory's artisans today. The bear comprises 30 individual parts, which are assembled by repairers to give the appearance of a seamless unit. Johann Gottlieb Kirchner came to Dresden from Freiberg with his brother Johann Christian Kirchner and worked with another, elder brother as a sculptor. Kirchner worked as a porcelain modeller and intermittently as a master modeller at the MEISSEN porcelain manufactory from 1727-1728 and from 1730-1733. His depictions of animals are set apart by the human traits he gave them. Even today, large sculptures represent a great challenge for all the various craft shops involved and have lost none of their fascination.