Hungarian Forint Exchange RateThe history of Herend porcelain goes back over two hundred years, and over that time the factory has produced some 12,000 different types of handmade objects and ornaments.
The Herend Porcelain Manufactory (Hungarian: Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt.) is a Hungarian manufacturing company, one of the world’s largest ceramic factories, specializing in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain. Founded in 1826, it is based in the town of Herend near the city of Veszprém.
In the mid-19th century it was purveyor to the Habsburg Dynasty and aristocratic customers throughout Europe. Many of its classic patterns are still in production.
After the fall of Communism in Hungary the factory was privatised and is now 75% owned by its management and workers. As of 2006, the factory is profitable and exports to over 60 countries of the world. Its main markets are the USA, Japan, Italy and Russia.
Herend products are made from hard-paste porcelain using a mixture of kaolin, feldspar and quartz.
After cleaning, decorating and drying, it is first fired at 830 degrees Celsius. The fired pieces are then immersed in a glaze and fired again, this time at 1410 degrees Celsius. This results in white, translucent porcelain. At this stage it is ready for painting by hand and then, depending whether it has been painted with colours or with gold, it is finished off with one or two more firings.
The design artists, wheel potters, painters, and modellers add the value that has won this porcelain 24 grand and gold prizes in world exhibitions between 1851 and 1937. Perhaps the most well known Herend pattern was presented at the London World Exhibition in 1851, the Chinese-style butterflies and flowery branches painted in joyful, lively colours. The British Queen, Victoria, ordered a dinner set with its gold medal-winning pattern for Windsor Castle. Hence the pattern’s name “Viktória”.
The Herend Porcelain Manufactory was purveyor to the Habsburg Dynasty and the aristocracy, both in Hungary and abroad. The factory consciously preserves traditions and therefore the quality of Herend Porcelain is consistent.
The Herend shop in Budapest is at: VI. Andrássy út 16.
Herend Porcelain Manufactory Ltd
Porcelain Museum of Herend
