Nymphenburg
A LEGACY OF 260 YEARS
PORCELAIN OF THE BAVARIAN CROWN
Nymphenburg traces its roots back to 1747 as the porcelain manufactory of the Bavarian Crown. Still operating from the Nymphenburg Palace in Bavaria, the manufactory has a global reputation for the unrivalled fineness, subtlety and brilliance of its porcelain, which is completely handmade using techniques passed down over generations.
Nymphenburg was founded by Elector Max III. Joseph of Bavaria as the prince-elect’s porcelain manufactory – symbolic of his passion for absolute beauty.
In 1815, the manufactory was elevated to the status of Staatliche Kuncstanstalt (State Art Institution), proving that Nymphenburg is the only porcelain producer that has stood firm in the face of changing styles and economic conditions over 260 years.
Contemporary Arts & Design
In Nymphenburg, handmade porcelain objects and works of art are manufactured according to the concepts of contemporary designers and artists who count among some of the most widely-renowned creators of art worldwide.
Well-known designers like Konstantin Grcic, Hella Jongerius, Reed Kram and Clemens Weisshaar, fashion designers like Christian Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood and Gareth Pugh, and artists like Carsten Höller, Olaf Nicolai and Wim Delvoye focus intensely on the historical and cultural context of Nymphenburg and express their outstanding artistic visions in the highest quality porcelain.
The character-shaping creative relevance of the work owes to the close collaboration between the artists and the masters’ workshops of Nymphenburg. In this last pure manufactory in the world, each of the porcelain parts is still worked by hand with techniques being applied which have been passed down from generation to generation and held onto since 1747..
The Dinnerware Collections
The extensive repertoire of services reflects the history of Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg: from pioneering rococo designs, developed in the 18th century, to contemporary designs produced exclusively for the manufactory, while simultaneously remaining timeless. From an early stage, Nymphenburg won famous artists to work for it who with their designs significantly influenced the manufactory's style and image. And continuing in this tradition, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg is today again inviting artists of international repute – Konstantin Grcic, Hella Jongerius and Ted Muehling, for instance – to develop new creations for its range.
Throughout the company's history, Nymphenburg shapes and designs have continuously been combined in different ways, confirming their timelessness. Customers are able to compile unique services from the wealth of shapes and designs at the manufactory and have them produced according to their own wishes and ideas.
BAVARIA
To this day, traditionally Bavarian services and figures bear witness to the roots of Nymphenburg – above all BAVARIA.
CUMBERLAND
The first 'Electoral Court Service' by Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg from the period of Franz Anton Bustelli.
GOLDEN AGE
Enjoying coffee beyond colourful , iridescent capsules of flavour.
LIGHTSCAPE
With Lightscape, Argentine-born Ruth Gurvich created an edition which is based entirely on paper models and which may be used anywhere thanks to its formal openness: in the kitchen, on the table or in the living room.
MARE NOSTRUM
A reissue of the cumberland service as modern interpretation of the Mediterranean subject.
PEARL
For the first time in the history of European porcelain, Auliczek based his service on a dodecagon shape – instead of the usual round shape.
HAUTE COUTURE
With his HAUTE COUTURE tea service, Konstantin Grcic has focused on a specific detail from the process of porcelain production.
HONEYCOMB
The honeycomb-shaped relief in glazed white porcelain bestows a unique, timeless character on the Orion.
ROYAL BAVARIAN SERVICE
The Royal Bavarian Service is still a captivating piece today, thanks to the superbly painted vedute: whether a castle motif, fantasy landscape, or individual miniatures, painted freely by hand/, all the vedutebear the hallmarks of the manufactory's master painters.
BELLE EPOQUE
Presented at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris and awarded the "Grand Prix", it counts as one of the most successful examples of the floral Munich-style of art nouveau.
GLOBAL SERVICE
Barnaby Barford designed the Global Service for Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg as a series of 14 plates that combine to produce a map of the world.
FLOWERS OF LIFE
The stylised blossoms and capsules stretch out from extended stems across the smooth porcelain like floral tattoos.
LOTOS
A simple basic shape with sweeping bowls and half-round upwardly flowing handles, which, with their gentle curves, are evocative of opening blossoms.
ANIMAL BOWLS
From the treasure of historic shapes containing around 700 animal figures at the manufactory, Jongerius selected eight designs and placed them in simple bowls.
WHITE CORAL
In the purist shape of this service, Ted Muehling expresses the structure of coral in all its sensuality and transparency.
MONOGRAM COLLECTION
With the Monogram Collection, designed in 2013, Ted Muehling has created a poetic continuation of his philosophy of naturalistic design, while at the same time revealing a surprising new path for decorative painting in the master workshops of the manufactory.
BROCADE
A fine gold lace edge borders the colourful and formal painting on the cumberland service.The new Brokat range focuses the aze on the lac eedge, a particularly filigree detail of the historic design whose beauty now especially comes into its own.
ADONIS
Wolfgangesigned the Adonis shape for Nymphenburg in the New Objectivity-style and it is still one of the manufactory's most beautiful shapes today.