INTERESTING TO KNOW
“I am proud that Danes solved porcelain know-how, thereby having abolished the monopoly of Saxon masters.” Christian VII King of Denmark
Royal Copenhagen is the Danish Royal porcelain manufactory. It was founded on May 1 in 1775 under patronage of the queen Juliana Maria. The only porcelain manufactory in Scandinavia and the sixth court porcelain manufactory in Europe. One the most famous works is porcelain collection Flora Danica that was ordered by the Danish king as a gift to the Russian empress Catherine II.
The set “Flora Danica” for 100 persons consists of 1802 items and it was painted by Johann Christof Bayer within 12 years.
The set’s name and decorations stem from the botanical work Flora Danica, the copper prints were carefully copied onto the porcelain. The set “Flora Danica” is kept at Rosenborg Castle and sometimes, on solemn occasions royal family uses it.
Nowadays, Royal Copenhagen Manufactory produces exact replicas of the set – although consisting of merely 700 items instead of 1802, all featuring different pictures. All the age-old techniques, such as china moulding and burning and over-glaze painting, are carefully followed during the process.
The Flora Danica set is considered an ultimate dinner service masterpiece, as well as one of the most expensive dinner services worldwide.
