The Art Newspaper alerts us to the fact that the porcelain market has seen no recession. On the contrary, prices have continued to rise along with the financial crisis.

According to Friedel Kirsch of the Elfriede Langeloh gallery in Weinheim, who specialises in early German porcelain: “Certain areas of collection are reacting in quite a different way to the economic crisis. Demand for 18th-century German porcelain, especially Meissen, remains unchanged.” Kirsch adds: “In fact, prices for finest-quality porcelain have been increasing for years and have risen even faster since the beginning of the recession. We have seen this happen with tableware, figurines and groups.”

[…] His view is shared by Rodney Woolley of Christie’s in London where, on 2 June 2009, bidding rose to £121,250 for a small gold-mounted Meissen snuff box dating from 1738, decorated on the inside with a delicately painted scene inspired by Watteau.

Russian collectors, who mainly buy figurines and groups, are among Elfriede Langeloh’s most important clients, says Kirsch. And although the porcelain market is doing very well in terms of sales, there is still a problem with what Kirsch calls “the crippling shortage of goods”. She adds: “All dealers are finding it increasingly difficult and expensive to buy porcelain, which is becoming rarer while demand continues to rise. You can’t simply reprint porcelain in the same way as money. Auction rooms have become like battlefields.”

Porcelain Unharmed by Economic Crisis (The Art Newspaper)