Antique Meissen Porcelain Golden Oriole – After J.J. Kändler, Model No. 820, First Quality Crossed Swords, "Germany" Export Mark, 1891–1918

In 1733, Johann Joachim Kändler — head modeller at the Meissen manufactory and the most gifted ceramic sculptor of his century — began work on a commission of extraordinary ambition: hundreds of near-life-size porcelain birds and animals, destined for the Japanese Palace of Augustus the Strong in Dresden. Among them was the Golden Oriole, the male, with its incandescent yellow body and black wings. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds an 18th-century original from that commission.

Kändler's model was refined by his associate Johann Gottlieb Ehder between 1740 and 1741, and assigned the Meissen factory model number 820 — the number impressed into the base of this piece.
The "Germany" export mark present here in underglaze blue, alongside the crossed swords, dates this figurine with precision. Applied to Meissen porcelain produced for export in compliance with the McKinley Tariff Act of 1891, the unqualified "Germany" mark — without "Made In" — was used from 1891 until approximately 1918, when post-war trade regulations progressively introduced the longer form. This piece therefore dates to the late Victorian through Edwardian period: a genuine antique, over a century old, produced when Meissen's pre-war workshops were operating at full capacity under their traditional methods.

Three further marks complete the record. The crossed swords, hand-painted in underglaze cobalt blue, carry no grinding strokes — confirming this is a first quality (Erste Wahl) piece, not a factory second. The impressed model number 820 identifies the subject directly within Meissen's documented catalogue. The impressed painter's number 290 records the individual craftsman responsible for the polychrome decoration — an internal quality-control system that genuine Meissen maintained meticulously, and that forgers rarely replicate.

The modelling repays close attention. The wings are built feather by feather: primaries separated, each rachis defined, the amber-to-black transition at the shoulder rendered with the kind of layered precision that distinguishes Meissen's naturalistic tradition. The head carries fine-line brushwork — individual plume markings in brown and amber, a precisely set red eye, the orange-red beak tapering to a sharp point. The feet grip the tree stump with individually articulated toes. At the base, flowers in purple, blue, and yellow emerge from applied green foliage, each element separately moulded and fixed before firing. All applied elements are intact — remarkable for a piece of this age, as these are the components most vulnerable to loss.

Subject: European Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), male
Model: No. 820, after J.J. Kändler (1733–34) and J.G. Ehder (1740–41)
Maker: Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Germany
Material: Hard-paste porcelain, polychrome enamel
Height: Approx. 10" (27cm)
Dating marks: Blue "Germany" export mark = c.1891–1918
Quality: First Quality — crossed swords with no grinding marks
Impressed marks: Model no. 820; painter's mark 290
Backstamp: Blue underglaze crossed swords (Meissen factory mark)

Condition
Very good antique condition for age. Two applied leaves have sustained breaks, and there is a minor chip of approximately 1mm to the tip of one talon — all damage is noted and reflected in the price. The bird itself, the polychrome enamel, the tree stump base, and the remaining applied flowers and foliage are intact and vivid. No cracks or repairs. Please review all photos carefully; they form part of the condition record, and further detail photos are available on request.

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