Gräfenthal by Reichenbach - Lively decorations with a light hand.

Founded more than 160 years

ago in Gräfenthal, a small town at the foot of the 'Rennsteig' in the Thüringischen Schiefergebirge(Thuringian Slate Mountain Range ), the company arised from small house paintings and was soon specialized in figurines of Porcelain. Thuringia was split in many dukedoms and at the middle of the year 19.th century several such 'factories' were originated, which devoted themselves to small, but very high-quality objects. These got by with little material and transport expenditure, required however a high level of craftsmanship and big expenditure of human labor . Thuringia of the 19th century was a perfect matrix for the production of luxurious porcelain figurines. And Gräfenthal is one of few names which have outlasted till nowadays.

The figurines which we introduce

on these pages are mainly recreation of Gerd Sommerlade which allow to shine on the old figure forms new colors and surfaces which lend a new character to the figurines. Now the traditional figurines are wearing an outfit of gold or polished silver or are decorated with a pen-and-ink drawing - which maybe they did not have originally at all. Besides Besteckliste shows a whole series of traditional figurines which are still produced as they were created originally: with a bright coloured painting, well elaborated and a big richness of detail . In the nineties of the 20th century the decline of the brand was prevented by the takeover of the porcelain manufacture Reichenbach, also from Thuringia.

Since then the old forms and

colours are continued as the brand Gräfenthal by Reichenbach furthermore. And also the redesigns of Gerd Sommerlade are to be owed to the cooperation with Reichenbach Porzellan, who created a big series in coloured porcelain, the model 'Colour' for Reichenbach. On the one hand we would like to attract your attention particularly on the pureness of the figurines in white biscuit porcelain: in this variation the richness of details can be seen best: the fur of the dachshund or the plumage of the parrot to name only some. On the other hand - with all love to the pure design: even we North Germans fell in love with the colourful painted birds of Gräfenthal by Reichenbach.