“Queen Victoria” Heart-Shaped Bonbonnière with Rose Finial – Herend, Hungary

Founded in 1826 in the village of Herend by Vince Stingl and transformed under Mór Fischer from 1839, Herend grew from a small workshop into one of Europe’s most celebrated makers of hand-painted, hard-paste porcelain. International acclaim followed the Great Exhibition in London (1851) and subsequent world fairs, where Herend’s virtuoso painting and rich gilding attracted royal patrons, including Queen Victoria—whose 1851 order gave the famous “Victoria” butterfly-and-peony pattern its name—as well as the Austro-Hungarian court and the Rothschilds (inspiring the charming “Rothschild Bird” design).

Herend’s signature lies in its entirely hand-decorated surfaces: layered enamels, 24-carat gilded details and exquisitely fine outlines. Iconic motifs include Apponyi (a pared-back take on Victoria), the Fishnet/Fish-scale decoration (now synonymous with Herend figurines), and a broad repertoire of Oriental-inspired florals and fauna. Despite nationalisation in the 20th century, the manufactory safeguarded its artisan training and, since privatisation in 1993, continues to produce table services and figurines that marry courtly tradition with meticulous craftsmanship.

Today, collectors prize Herend for its painterly detail, depth of colour, and continuity of hand-work—each piece signed by the artist—making it one of the few European porcelain houses where the 19th-century atelier spirit still defines contemporary production.