Two Fluffy African Animals / Fennec Foxes (Desert Foxes)

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.
Apart from the world-renowned Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, numerous other porcelain factories operated throughout Germany. Chief among these was the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin (KPM). No less popular was the production of the enterprises in Dresden, Nymphenburg, Volkstedt, Ludwigsburg, Frankenthal, and Selb.
A special place of honour on this porcelain map belongs to Thuringia, where the famous town of craftsmen – Ilmenau – flourished. It was here that the renowned "Metzler & Ortloff" enterprise operated, its pieces distinguished by an underglaze green mark featuring crossed mining hammers. The factory, which was active from 1873 until 1976, achieved international acclaim for its high-quality household porcelain and, most notably, its exceptional animalier art. Figurines of animals, birds, and fish produced by this brand are highly regarded for their artistic expressiveness and lifelike quality.
A prime example of this mastery is the "Fennec Foxes (Desert Foxes)" sculpture, which portrays a pair of the smallest canid species in the world. The fennec fox is a miniature predator adapted to the harsh conditions of the North African deserts. The factory's master modeller accurately captured the animals' anatomy, highlighting their characteristic oversized ears, delicate muzzles, and thick, bushy tails. Soft gradations of the underglaze painting beautifully replicate the texture of the fur and emphasise the natural grace of these desert dwellers, making this composition an exquisite example of European porcelain art.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery