Ludwigsburg porcelain

Figures were a relatively large proportion of production compared to other German factories, and included series of court ballet dancers, peasants, and musicians.

[3] The original manufactory became famous for its figurines,[4] which are interesting because they very likely were modelled directly on the costumes used in the court ballet, another enthusiasm of Duke Charles Eugene.

Between 1760 and 1766 he had managed to entice to Stuttgart the innovative choreographer and ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre, then out of favour in Paris.

One of Noverre's innovations was using lighter costumes allowing the dancer to move freely, shown in some of the figure groups, as the one illustrated here, but not all.

[8] Then in January 1759,[4] he hired Joseph Jakob Ringler [de], who had worked at Vienna, Höchst, Strasbourg, Frankenthal, and Nymphenburg, to direct Ludwigsburg's porcelain factory.

It had never been profitable, and later dukes lost interest and resented the expense until it was closed in 1824, after attempts to find a buyer had failed.

[13] Every piece of Ludwigsburg porcelain made from 1948 to 2009 has a "Decorator Signature" in addition to standard manufactory markings.

[15][16] In 1904, the Württembergische Porzellanmanufaktur Bauer & Pfeiffer, though located in Schorndorf, became the first successor to the palace manufactory under the mark of a crown and the words "Alt-Ludwigsburg".

In the final ruling, on 12 December 1919, Alt-Ludwigsburg was forced to adopt new markings and became a court-managed company that, in 1921, was entrusted with producing Notgeld.

The venture was an immediate success, as Wanner-Brandt's use of the original moulds and glaze compositions allowed patrons to order exact recreations of Ludwigsburg porcelains.

The manufactory moved to Ludwigsburg Palace in 1967, and in 1994 was recognized by the Württembergische Hypothekenbank for preserving the tradition of porcelain-making in the city.

[20] After months of searching, a buyer for the manufactory was found in Lucas A.G., a Swiss holding firm with Russian investors.