Description

History of the Rosenthal factory

Philipp Rosenthal (1855-1937) began business in Germany in 1884. Initially he purchased white ware from the company Hutschenreuther which was resold door to door after being hand-painted by his wife Maria. In 1891, he established a factory in Asch, Bohemia and began production of his own white ware.

Into the twentieth century and a  more affluent Germany emerged with improved living conditions and a disposable income appeared. Rosenthal spotted the unfilled market and started mass scale production of porcelain aimed at the newly emerging market. In only two generations the family firm expanded into a world class player. With a vision for modern art, freelance artists were employed and the interior decoration business began. In 1910 the art department at Selb was founded employing designers such as Himmelstoss, Karner, Oppel, Holzer-Defanti, Liebermann, Cassmann and many others. The same year the factory won the gold medal for it’s quality porcelain at the world fair Paris. Over the decades other factories were acquired in ceramics, glass, utensils and furniture. It’s top quality porcelain is still admired today for the way they captured their subjects movement, form and liveliness.

Hugo Meisel (1887-1966)

Meisel worked for Rosenthal from 1936 to 1937. He was a porcelain “master-sculptor”  as well as bronze sculptor and so we can most likely attribute the actual sculpting of your figures to him. His figures are notable for what is described as a “restrained naturalism”. An important figure, he was head of the Staatliches Museum of Heidecksburg from 1950 to 1959. Hugo Meisel created the famous “Mohren” (moors) figurines as well as “Vogel flieg” (bird flies) and “Pfeifer” (pipers).

Otto Koch (1901 – 1974)

He worked for Rosenthal from 1920 to 1966 and was an important figure within their history. Koch was a sculptor and painter. In 1920 he became head of the art department of the factory Bahnhof, Selb which, at that time, was newly founded in Plößberg. In 1931 he was promoted to a senior position within that factory and in 1945 he became factory manager.