Although Meissen connoisseurship demands quite a bit of study, collectors can take comfort in the fact that their labors will be rewarded. The market as a whole is on the rise. Beiny says that prices have gone up gradually ever since the economic recession of the 1970s, with spikes and valleys occurring depending on what’s available. “There is not an unlimited supply of great Meissen out there,” she says, “particularly works from the golden age. Now we are seeing the Rococo-style 19th-century works collected quite actively.” In fact, the Christie’s sale of the Criswell collection was the house’s first single-owner Meissen session that did not feature 18th-century examples. As a show of confidence in the material, it offered all lots with no reserves. The whole collection sold for a combined $926,450, well above the $600,000 high estimate.

"White-Hot Wares" originally appeared in the September 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's September 2008 Table of Contents.