MEISSEN Color Lab

As early as 1725, Johann Gregorius Höroldt succeeded in developing a basic palette of 16 fire-resistant overglaze colors that revolutionized the artistic decoration of porcelain. Since then, the color palette has been continuously expanded: today, the Meissen color archive contains around 10,000 carefully preserved color formulas that have been handed down through the centuries and are continually maintained.

The colors are produced in the manufactory’s in-house color laboratory, where traditional methods meet modern technical expertise. Among the approximately 300 most frequently used overglaze colors are, for example, 42 shades of purple, 17 shades of green, 12 shades of red, and 25 shades of yellow, with almost unlimited gradations. This allows the artists to tailor every nuance individually to each figurine or piece of tableware.

In addition to classic porcelain colors, gold preparations are also used and are divided into two groups: gloss gold and polished gold. Gloss gold, invented in 1827 by Heinrich Gottlob Kühn, already has its characteristic gleaming shimmer after the decoration firing. Polished gold, by contrast, leaves the kiln matte and achieves its velvety appearance only through careful polishing afterward.

Thanks to the extensive color archive and the meticulous work carried out in the color laboratory, even the finest nuances, shimmering highlights, and subtly graduated color transitions can be realized on porcelain. The result is colors and decorations that unite traditional craftsmanship, artistic originality, and the highest level of precision in every single piece.