Welcome to the world of Herend, renowned since 1826 for beautiful porcelain hand-painted with exquisite detailing. Each and every piece of Herend dinnerware, figurines, and home accessories is an individual work of art created by highly trained master craftspeople.
The beauty of Herend porcelain is intended for use and enjoyment as well as artistic appreciation. With its durability and ease of care, each piece is a treasure for the connoisseur, with a legacy as enduring as the cherished European tradition of its creation.
Since 1826, Herend (pronounced HAIR-end) has produced some of the world's most distinctive and outstanding porcelains. The manufactory name is derived from its home in a small Hungarian village not far from Budapest, one of the great capitals of Europe.
The traditions of ceramic production have a very long history in this region. Artifacts found in the area confirm the early production of earthenware, and the 16th century potteries in Buda produced impressive examples of majolica wares. Herend's own history began in 1826 when Vinzenz (Vince) Stingl invested in a small porcelain-making facility, not foreseeing its amazing evolution from a cottage industry into a world-renowned luxury brand.
The modern reputation of Herend began in 1839 when Moric Fischer took over the firm. He initially focused on reproduction pieces for families who wished to replace valuable pieces of old Sevres, Meissen, and oriental tableware patterns.
A fascinating true story of this period describes a milestone in the growth of Herend. The king of Sardinia, owner of a very old set of Chinese porcelain, wanted to replace some missing pieces, and appointed Herend to the task. After a full year of careful study, experimentation, and production, Moric Fischer completed the replacement pieces. Because he felt that these "new" pieces might be viewed with some derision, Fischer asked the king for permission to personally deliver the order to Turin castle and to be left alone to arrange the collection for inspection. He removed the original Chinese pieces from their display cabinets, arranged them on a table and placed his own products into the cabinets. When the King and his courtiers entered the room, Fischer presented the Chinese pieces on the table as his own work. After listening to the critiques of the King and court, that these items were not nearly so perfect as the porcelain in the display cabinets, he revealed the truth of their origin.
Upon the spread of this story, the reputation of Herend's porcelain artistry became well known and Fischer began to unveil new, original designs. At the London World Exhibition of 1851, Queen Victoria ordered a very large table service for Windsor Castle. Decorated with a colorful, Chinese-inspired design of flowers and butterflies, it has since become famous and quite popular as Herend's "Queen Victoria" pattern. Many aristocrats followed the Queen's example, and Herend continued to prosper.
The company's first entrée into the American market came in 1853 with their medal-winning submission to the New York Exhibition of Industrial Arts. In recognition of Fischer's role as a pioneer of Hungarian industry, in 1866 he was elevated to the nobility with the title Moritz Fischer von Farkashazy. His grandson Jeno took over in 1897 and initiated a second wave of innovation, leading to further successes at international exhibitions.
Upon Jeno's passing in 1926, the factory continued under the leadership of Counts Andras and Moric Eszterhazy. Since then, Herend has continued to update their facilities without sacrificing the traditions of the highest quality hand-painting inherent in all Herend porcelain.