Exclusive Collection Animal figure bear

Johann Gottlieb Kirchner (1706-1768) was among the earliest artistic talents to shape the identity of the MEISSEN Porcelain Manufactory. Appointed as one of its first master modellers, he played a decisive role during the manufactory's formative years, when the artistic and technical possibilities of porcelain were still being explored. Among Kirchner's greatest achievements is the monumental Bear, modelled in 1732 for Augustus the Strong's ambitious Japanese Palace project. The Elector envisioned a magnificent porcelain menagerie, commissioning life-sized sculptures of around 296 models of animals and 297 models of birds, according to inventory records from November 1733. Kirchner's Bear was among its most impressive creations.

Composed of around thirty individually modelled components, carefully joined to appear as a single form, it remains an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship even by today's standards. With its powerful stance, richly textured fur, and thoughtful expression, the sculpture embodies both artistic sensitivity and technical mastery. Rather than depicting a fierce beast, Kirchner endowed the animal with a quiet dignity and an almost human character-a hallmark of his artistic style. The Bear has become one of the defining masterpieces of early MEISSEN porcelain, standing as a lasting symbol of the manufactory's pioneering spirit.