In 1765 Joseph Zächenberger, a skillful painter, created the lush Cumberland pattern for Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufacturers. Zächenberger's pattern was meant to replace fresh flowers at table. At the time, fresh flowers were frowned upon as table decorations as they could wilt during the event.
"In his incredibly lush tableware pattern, one finds slightly off-center bouquets enriched by beetles, butterflies, insects, caterpillars, smaller strewn flowers, with larger single flowers decorating the rich gold border. Always in his painting Zächenberger employed the use of strong hues and deep shading to give the flowers a naturalistic vibrancy." ~from moss
Today, painters require up to three weeks to complete a single plate.
All images from Nymphenburg
