Moulders and throwers
The making of any piece of Meissen porcelain begins with various people getting hands on, both in Europe’s smallest mine, in which just two people work, and then in the manufacturing process. The porcelain paste is always first thrown into a basic shape by hand. Plates, cups and vases are still traditionally hand-crafted, no concessions being made to industrial methods of production.
The second stage sees the basic shape gently pressed into a plaster mould that brings out its outlines and exact composition. The plaster mould gradually drains the porcelain paste of water, causing the body to densify. Opulent table-service cups may comprise up to five separate parts, complex figures up to 100. Each is individually moulded or cast before being meticulously gone over by the “repairers”, who then join the parts together to form the finished piece.