The world's most exclusive piece of porcelain - The Princess on the Pea
In his fairytale from 1835, Hans Christian Andersen describes how the prince of his fairytale found out that the stranger was indeed a genuine princess. As for the porcelain figurine of the Princess on the Pea, there is no doubt that this is indeed a delicate, beautiful and fragile princess made of porcelain.
The making of a Princess
It takes seven to eight months to produce the final figure, some six months alone being taken up in its decoration. The Princess on the Pea is a major work of Gerhard Henning's first period at the Royal Porcelain Manufactory (1909-1914). The figure was first executed in 1911. In the following year it was awarded the 1st class medal at the Salon in Paris, where it was generally deemed to be one of the finest pieces of European porcelain of the period. Gerhard Henning lived from 1880-1967.
The Princess is 45 cm high; it has been painted with more than 80 colors. The Princess is a bonbonniere, which means that the top can be taken off. It has not as such been produced in a limited edition, but it goes without saying that due to its rarity and exclusivity, it is not produced very often. Since 1911, Royal Copenhagen has only made nine Princesses in total; each one has been sold to dedicated private collectors in different parts of the world. Owning a Princess and the Pea is like obtaining membership to a very exclusive private club of connoisseurs and protectors of the finest craftsmanship in the world.
One must never forget that having a Princess in the house is both a great responsibility and a great privilege.
Facts

• Dimensions: 430 mm
• Main material: Porcelain
• Design by: Gerhard Henning
• Production start: 1911
• Hand made
• Hand painted