MEISSEN Mold Archive

To preserve its artistic independence and remain faithful to historical originals, the MEISSEN Manufactory holds the largest and oldest collection of models and model molds in the world. This unique archive forms the heart of the porcelain manufactory and ensures that every figurine and every piece of tableware can be reproduced true to the original.

The impressive form archive houses around 700,000 plaster molds, reflecting more than 300 years of manufactory history. These molds provide the basis for reproducing approximately 9,000 figurines and around 15,000 tableware pieces, making them an invaluable treasure of MEISSEN’s artistic heritage.

The archive distinguishes between model molds and working molds: model molds serve as faithful originals from which new working molds can be produced at any time as needed. These working molds are indispensable for actual production, since each porcelain sculpture consists of multiple individual parts that must be precisely crafted and assembled. For example, reproducing the swan by Jörg Danielczyk from 2012 alone requires 150 working molds in order to capture every detail exactly.

For larger or especially delicate objects such as jugs, boxes, and vases, the casting process is the preferred method.