Limited Masterworks Vase View towards Meissen

The vase "View towards Meissen" is a work of art that strikingly unites tradition and modernity, East and West. Designed by Chinese artist Zhuoyu Hou, it brings together more than three centuries of Meissen craftsmanship with a contemporary intercultural perspective. Issued in a strictly limited edition of 15 pieces, the elaborately decorated vase required the collaboration of three specialized porcelain painters, as well as multiple firings, to anchor the wide range of painting techniques permanently in the porcelain.

The vase's unusual form recalls the mouth of a fish, while its rounded body seems to consist of two layers gently folded into one another. The outer surface shows a yellow gradient with Meissen Indian painting, into which scenes of traditionally dressed Asian women are set, each engaged in artistic activities. With subtle humor, Zhuoyu Hou has placed small Meissen vessels on the worktables of these figures-a playful gesture linking past and present, East and West. One of the women looks through an open Chinese-style window toward the Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen, quite literally opening the view onto Meissen.

The combination of techniques-from Indian painting and blue painting to naturalistically rendered roses in overglaze decoration-points to the rich tradition of Meissen decoration spanning centuries. At the same time, the design pays homage to Johann Gregorius Höroldt (1696-1775), whose 250th anniversary is being honored by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory with a series of works inspired by his famous chinoiserie.

In Zhuoyu Hou's design, Meissen's artistic heritage becomes a cultural bridge: an Asian perspective on Europe that highlights the historic connection between Meissen and China while offering new impulses for dialogue between East and West.