The world-famous Herend Porcelain Manufactory

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory has been following the same traditions in its craft since its foundation in 1826, according to Őseink Hagyatéka, Örökségünk. Some time ago this porcelain was called “white gold” and it was an honourable privilege to own some of this precious treasure. Every process of forming the porcelain mass through melding and burning to the painting is done manually in Herend, even today. The porcelain of Herend is a Hungaricum, a part of the Hungarian Heritage.

Everyone heard about Zsolnay, the famous ceramic manufacture, but there is another prestigious porcelain producer enterprise in Hungary. Herend Porcelain Manufactory became the royal producer of porcelain during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The Hungarian aristocracy ordered the replacement of their china sets only from Herend. These replacing processes preserved motifs in the porcelain art which are not applied by any other manufactures. Herend has 16,000 different white forms, 4,000 different painted patterns and 64 million products.

Herend Porcelain Manufactory was represented in many world exhibitions — in London in 1851 and 1862, in Paris in 1867 and 1937, in Vienna in 1873 and in Brussels in 1935 — and it was often awarded.

The turning point was its first World Exhibition in London, where the chinoiseries met with great acclaim. Queen Victoria purchased a set with butterflies and purple peonies on it for her castle in Windsor. This pattern became the symbol of Herend afterwards.

Herend Porcelain Manufactory resides on three main pillars: profitable economy, social responsibility and solidarity. The brand symbolizes luxury, elegance, constant renewal, the best quality and uniqueness.

History did not always appreciate the manufactory’s art: during World War I, for example, most of the workers were recruited by the army, so the workshop was running at a minimum.The manufactory was busier during World War II, as electric insulators and medical equipment were produced there at that time. Herend Porcelain Manufactory was nationalized in 1948 and it was operating as a part of the Fine Ceramic Works until 1981.

The manufactory has been participating in the Frankfurt International Fair since 1980.

Herend was the first porcelain manufactory in Europe that received the European Union’s ISO 9001 quality label in 1995.In 1996, the elegant Raffles Hotel in Singapore was the venue of the inauguration of the first Herend shop abroad, which was followed by another in Berlin in 1997.