Forest Bird

Porcelain is a noble and the most refined type of ceramics. It is fashioned from a blend of various clay varieties, primarily composed of kaolin. The body is either coated with a transparent glaze or left unglazed, which is known as biscuit porcelain. The wares undergo at least two main stages of thermal treatment and are fired at exceptionally high temperatures. Fine ceramic objects are characterised by their white colour, resonance, strength, and translucency. Two fundamentally different decoration methods are employed in its production: relief modelling and painting.
Porcelain originated in China around the 6th–7th centuries, where the secret of its manufacture was closely guarded. Chinese porcelain items reached Europe during the Middle Ages and were valued more highly than gold, which later earned them the moniker "white gold". For centuries, European masters attempted to replicate this material, creating only fragile, soft imitations instead. The secret of the Chinese craftsmen was finally unlocked only at the beginning of the 18th century in Saxony.
The first manufacture in Europe to produce hard-paste porcelain was founded in 1710 by the Saxon Elector and King of Poland, Augustus II the Strong, near Dresden in the town of Meissen. Its establishment followed the development of kaolin clay mines and the invention of the porcelain paste recipe in 1709 by the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger. Throughout the 18th century, the Meissen manufacture experienced its most illustrious period of flourish, shaped by the work of such prominent masters as Johann Gregor Höroldt, Johann Gottlieb Kirchner, Johann Joachim Kändler, Michel Victor Acier, and others. This was an era of bold experimentation, technological refinement, and the creation of iconic models. The primary output of the manufacture consisted of exquisite tableware (dinner, tea, and coffee services), as well as elaborate candelabra and clock cases. Porcelain sculpture explored highly diverse themes: allegorical and mythological subjects, figures of gallants and ladies, characters from the Italian commedia dell'arte, as well as depictions of foreigners, artisans, peasants, soldiers, hunters, and shepherds. Wares of the 19th century were artistically less significant, as production during this period frequently relied on creating new casts from historic moulds. These works encapsulate the versatility of artistic styles in decorative arts, serving not merely a utilitarian purpose but offering profound aesthetic pleasure.
The depiction of fauna held a distinctive place among the items produced by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory. Prominent 18th-century modellers, such as Johann Friedrich Eberlein and Johann Joachim Kändler, worked on creating these accurate and expressive ornithological figurines, while in the 20th century, this renowned Meissen series was further developed by the celebrated artist and sculptor Elfriede Reichel-Drechsler. This ornithological collection included three-dimensional statuettes of exotic and songbirds – parrots, jays, and tits. In this composition, a forest bird is realistically rendered perched on a tree stump adorned with relief figures of insects and a caterpillar. The work is distinguished by its naturalistic plastic precision, the delicate rendering of plumage, and the subtle nuance of natural shades.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery