Herend Porcelain

orcelain has long been regarded as the most desirable and prestigious form of pottery – which is hardly surprising, given that it so perfectly combines beauty and functionality.

Dazzlingly white, delicately translucent, tough, chip-resistant and proof against thermal shock, it’s the ideal material from which to make everything from top-quality teapots to exquisitely detailed ornaments.

Porcelain was developed in China nearly two thousand years ago, but it wasn’t until the early 1700s that makers in Germany, France and England discovered how to produce wares that could rival those from the Far East.

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory, based in Herend near the ancient city of Veszprém in modern-day Hungary, may have been a latecomer on the porcelain-making scene, says Jody Beighton, auctioneer and valuer at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, but in terms of craftsmanship it’s up there with the best.

Fit For A Queen

“Like all the great factories, Herend won royal patronage, which is what gave them their longevity and success,” explains Jody. “They created large services for very wealthy clients and exported worldwide. Even today, everything Herend produces is handmade and hand-painted, and the quality is always extremely high.”

The Herend factory was founded in 1826 by Vince Stingl, although it wasn’t until several years later when Stingl went bankrupt and sold the business on to Mór Fischer that Herend started making porcelain in earnest. Soon the enterprising Fischer was selling Herend dinner services to the Hungarian aristocracy and exhibiting the company’s wares on the international circuit, with showings including the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York in 1853 and the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855.

2. Two Herend porcelain models of golden pheasants. Sold for £120.

3. A Herend porcelain Rothschild Bird pattern tureen, tureen stand, sandwich plate and large bowl. Sold for £750.

4. A pair of large Herend porcelain models of hares. Sold for £600.

5. A Herend porcelain model of a pelican, together with two Herend models of pairs of ducks. Sold for £700.

This proactive marketing paid off, and several European royal houses put in substantial orders. They included Queen Victoria, who chose a pattern featuring brightly coloured butterflies and flowers for use in Windsor Castle. Fischer promptly and astutely named it the Victoria pattern, and a version of it is still available today.

Another famous Herend pattern of the same era, also commissioned by a wealthy patron and still in production, is the Rothschild Bird pattern. This was inspired by a romantic Rothschild family story; versions differ, but the gist of it is that Baroness Rothschild lost a favourite necklace and at some point later birds were spotted playing with it in a tree. There are numerous variations of the Rothschild Bird motif, but each features a pair of birds along with the missing necklace, draped on a leafy twig.

Scale Models

A characteristic feature of much Herend porcelain, albeit not the Victoria or Rothschild Bird patterns, is the factory’s distinctive ‘fishnet’ or ‘scale’ patterning. Originally inspired by oriental decoration, this was first used by Herend in the 1870s but was used increasingly liberally from the 1930s onwards.

Creating these delicate filigree patterns is a painstaking and time-consuming process. First the scales are marked out with a drawing pen, following which the centres of the scales are filled in with a paintbrush in one or more colours. The overall effect, with its intricate geometry, is instantly recognisable as Herend.

Over the last few decades the Herend scale pattern has been applied to an increasingly wide range of wares, including a bewildering variety of figurines, both human and –especially – animal. From bears, birds and bugs to waterfowl and wolverines, pretty much every creature you can think of has been given the Herend scale treatment.

“Secondhand values for Herend wares have always been strong, and they remain so,” says Jody. “Dinner services are both decorative and useful, and can make well into four figures at auction. They are popular with interior decorators, and fit well with a certain kind of country house look. We have plenty of buyers locally for traditional pieces, and nowadays collectors from the Far East are also taking a serious interest in quality Western tea services.

“The ornaments too are selling well. We have a pair of ducks coming up for sale shortly, and I am expecting them to easily make between £300 and £500.”

So do you have any Herend porcelain tucked away at the back of a cupboard or in the loft? The factory’s name may not be as well known or as long-established as those of Meissen, Chelsea, Royal Worcester, Royal Crown Derby or Sèvres, but your Herend could be worth a lot more than you think.

For more information about Tennants Auctioneers, or to arrange a valuation, visit tennants.co.uk or call 01969 623780.

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