The Book of Meissen

Rating:
Summary: A History Book of Meissen
Review: I liked this book, but it was a little different than I had anticipated. I was expecting a pictoral history of Meissen porcelain and while the book does have numerous pictures including many in black and white, it really is primarily a history book of Meissen through the ages. It does not attempt to show any sort of survey of Meissen pieces, but rather through text and line drawings of marks and pattern details traces the lineage of "true Meissen" from the 1700's to the present. The chapter on imitations and forgeries was interesting. One would be very unlikely to "look up" a suspected piece of Meissen porcelain in this book. The text explaining the making of porcelain, the impressing of marks and the design process are the main parts of the book. It has a rather exhaustive discussion of the development and change over time of the Meissen maker's mark. It is useful as a historical reference, but not as a collector's identification guide.

Rating:
Summary: A must have for the Meissen collector.
Review: The best reference book on Meissen I have in my collection. The detailed chapter on marks, both fake and true, has proven invaluable. Buy the book you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best book in English dealing with Meissen.
Review: This is simply the best book on Meissen porcelain in the English language. Rontgen covers the history of the firm, including information concerning Meissen during the time of the GDR. Photographs, including many in color, make this an important contribution to art literature.