描述
The history of the town and people of Sitzendorf Germany goes back a long way and the history of Sitzendorf porcelain is just as long. A theology student called Georg Heinrich Macheleidt received permission from the regional prince in Germany to set up a porcelain manufacturing company in the small town of Sitzendorf. In 1760, the first porcelain factory was established. Sitzendorf porcelain is identified and valued by its year of manufacture. The year and the stamping on the porcelain indicate under which of the owner managers the piece was produced. Everything from the Macheleidt period would obviously be the most valuable. There are several distinct periods in the management history of the factory. The porcelain manufacture was reestablished in Sitzendorf in 1850 by Wilhelm Liebmann who held control over the establishment until a fire in 1858 gutted the factory building and led him to retire. The factory was rebuilt and reopened under the Voigt brothers’ management.
Alfred and Carl ran things until 1896 when Albert Schonau ran the company as a public corporation with stock valued at a million German marks. This lasted until 1932 when the factory nearly collapsed under the weight of socioeconomic depression. Porcelain bearing indications of manufacture before 1932 are most prized by collectors.
Sitzendorf porcelain includes not only figurines but vases, lamps, dolls, bowls, mantle mounts, wall brackets, compotes and urns. All are well colored, highly ornate and more collector items than practical products. They are representative of the Dresden style of porcelain.
Dresden style porcelain is distinguished by the use of flowers, shells, fruits, leaves and scroll work. The actual porcelain is so white it is almost translucent and often includes a gold edging. Sitzendorf is just one of the German porcelain makers referred to as Dresden. Most collectible among the Sitzendorf range of porcelain are the lace figurines first produced under the Voight owners beginning in the mid 1880s. The lace look was accomplished by dipping real fabric lace into porcelain and firing the result.
說到德國西岑多夫小鎮的歷史，不能不提到當地的Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠。可以說，它與小鎮的成長經歷、建設與發展、以及大大小小的人文事物緊緊相連著。起初，一位就讀神學院的學生喬治．海因理希．馬齊萊特Georg Heinrich Macheleidt想嘗試製作瓷器，他在取得領地王子的許可後，於1760年，馬齊萊特Macheleidt便決定在德國圖林根的小鎮西岑多夫裡成立了Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠。Sitzendorf西岑多夫的瓷器的價值與它的製作年份息息相關，通過辨識它的窯印便可以得知該件作品當時的Sitzendorf西岑多夫首席藝術總監是誰。目前，以創辦者馬齊萊特Macheleidt 時期的作品為最有價值的，因為年代久遠的關係。
歷史悠久的Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠至今已超過兩個世紀，它難免經歷過幾次波瀾、瓶頸，也曾數次起死回生，而每一位當家的領導經營風格皆不同，大致也可分為幾個重點時期。根據記載，1850年窯廠曾重新開張，當時由威廉．利柏曼Wilhelm Liebmann當家領導，不幸的，1858年廠裡發生火災，也讓利柏曼Liebmann決定退休，後來又由牟格特Voigt兄弟重建廠房並重新開張。接著由阿爾弗雷德Alfred與 卡爾Carl接手直到1896年，阿爾伯特．施諾Albert Schonau決定將窯廠股票公開上市，當時Sitzendorf西岑多夫市值超過百萬德國馬克。直到1932年，由於市場景氣低落，沉重的財務壓力讓窯廠又再一次面臨倒閉。因此，在1932年前所生產的作品在收藏家眼裡可以說一物難求，價格居高不下。
Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠以生產瓷偶為名，但其實它們的產品非當多樣，包含常見的瓷桌、花瓶、桌燈、小玩偶、碗盤，到壁掛壁座、瓶罐和甕等等容器，其中瓷桌的部分均為訂製品。每一樣作品皆為精心燒製、上色工法嚴謹，且細節豐富、嬌貴、具高度裝飾性，也非常有收藏價值，可以說是德國最具代表性的瓷器之一。
在風格上，Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠也可以說是少數純正血統的德勒斯登瓷器之一。它們較注重於呈現花朵、貝殼、水果、葉型以及漩渦雕花的表現，其色澤相當的白皙且透明，通常在邊緣處上以金色作裝飾。而Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠眾多的作品裡，最具收藏價值的就屬它獨特的蕾絲花邊瓷偶，其工法在1880年間由牟格特Voight當家時所開發出來，以蕾絲布料浸泡在瓷泥裡並定型後所燒製而成，其手法相當繁複費時，可以說是Sitzendorf西岑多夫窯廠的招牌工藝。
