Uitgifte 2014: Augarten Porcelain – Vienna Rose

Perfectly shaped, timelessly beautiful, and handcrafted – this is how the world-famous Viennese Augarten porcelain has presented itself for nearly 300 years. Exquisite coffee and tea sets, stylish vases and lamps, as well as artistic figurines, delight collectors and aesthetes – and have done so for generations. The valuable porcelain, which bears the distinctive blue shield as a hallmark, is also used in the service of the Republic of Austria: as tableware in the Hofburg Palace and the Federal Chancellery, or as a special state gift on very official occasions. Published by the Austrian Post in 2014.

For the “Classical Marks” series, an exceptional porcelain stamp has been designed, decorated with the “Wiener Rose”. From the naturalistic bouquets of the Baroque period to neoclassical floral motifs and the playful rose motifs of the Biedermeier period, the rose has been one of the most important motifs for Viennese porcelain painters since the founding of the Vienna Porcelain Factory in 1718. The famous “Wiener Rose” originates from designs by the Imperial Manufactory from around 1740. In 1924, Edwin Breideneichen, head of the painting department for many years, reworked the motif of the Vienna Purple Rose and adapted it to the taste of his time: Art Nouveau. The result was a stylized rose flower; precisely applied brushstrokes and subtle shading gave it a simple and delicate elegance, making it one of the factory’s most sought-after designs. Today, the range of classic “Wiener Dekor” includes a wide variety of porcelain objects and enjoys enormous popularity both nationally and internationally.

The production of a porcelain stamp required the development of a unique process and specialized tools, as this was the only way to produce the relatively large number of stamps within the given time. Because standard plaster molds can only be used about thirty times, the stamps were not cast using casting compound, but pressed using a stiffer mold (a so-called “turning mold” or “press mold”). The porcelain stamps were subsequently fired in a process called biscuit firing at 960 degrees Celsius for 24 hours, after which they were glazed and cured again at an even higher temperature.

At the Augarten porcelain factory in Vienna, the pieces are normally painted by hand. However, in this specific case, that was not possible due to the large production run and limited time. Therefore, the most advanced and high-quality printing technique was used: screen printing. To guarantee the colorfastness and contrast of this special porcelain stamp, the colors were subsequently fired at 820 degrees Celsius.

Source: www.austria-forum.org

Click here to view this stamp in the PostBeeld webshop.