Press release Oktober 2009:

First loan exhibit for the anniversary exhibition “From a King’s Dream to Mass Production” arrives.

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Image 4 Porzellanikon restorer
Jessica Ullrich carefully
positions Reinecke Fuchs

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Magnificent centrepiece from “Reinecke Fuchs”, the largest table decoration of the 20th century, on loan to Porzellanikon

Porzellanikon Selb has taken delivery of the first loan exhibit for its anniversary exhibition “From a King’s Dream to Mass Production. 300 Years of European Porcelain”. Standing 91 cm tall, the columnar centrepiece from Max Esser’s 75-piece table decoration “Reinecke Fuchs“ has arrived at its temporary new home. Originally conceived as a gift from Meissen Manufactory to Friedrich Ebert, President of the German Reich, the decoration covers an entire table and was inspired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s epic poem of the same name. The centrepiece of this opulent table decoration comes from a private collection and has a purely decorative function. The entire work dates from the time of Max Adolf Pfeiffers (from 1913 Director of Meissen Porcelain Manufactory). “Only four mouldings are known throughout the whole world,” comments exhibition curator Petra Werner. “This one was produced in 1924. ‘Reinecke Fuchs’ is considered to be the biggest table decoration of the 20th century – in terms of the number of composite parts and of the overall height of the centrepiece. A magnificent work!”

The piece itself
Complex and rich in detail, just like Goethe’s epic poem, the tri-partite central support structure is also made of porcelain: an artistic, airy network showing a grapevine luxuriant with grapes and foliage in which swallow, marten, rabbit, woodpecker, buzzard, owl and cat frisk and frolic. Yet – true to the lyrical tale – the daintily poised fox stands supreme on its two hind legs on a rotating ball inserted in the crown of the display. His mocking expression reminds one of a masked robber, and with his narrow, exaggeratedly long body he prances like a tightrope walker, lording it over the other animals. This gorgeous columnar piece is in excellent condition; the foliage and figures are raised in the fashion of wood carving, picked out in a vivid coral red, black, brown and gold colour composition; the artistic interpretation of the animal characters is striking.

The exhibition
“From a King’s Dream to Mass Production. 300 Years of European Porcelain” is the most extensive presentation on the subject of porcelain to be held in Europe in the anniversary year. Some 1,000 exhibits from 90 institutions and 17 countries together with pieces owned by the museum document the history of porcelain as well as the history of Europe and the social changes which are closely associated with it. The exhibition is being staged from 24.4. – 2.11.2010 at two locations – at Porzellanikon in Selb and in Hohenberg a.d. Eger. “Reinecke Fuchs” can be seen in the part of the exhibition devoted to Art Déco at Porzellanikon Hohenberg a.d. Eger.