MEET THE MAKER: AUGARTEN WIEN

From Imperial Secrets to Modern Porcelain: The Augarten Wien Story

What do Marie Antoinette's mother, Jackie Kennedy, and your favorite spy thriller all have in common?

Believe it or not: porcelain. Augarten porcelain, to be exact — and the story of how it came to exist involves stolen secrets, kidnapped artisans, and kings who considered porcelain more valuable than gold. Collectors throughout history have included Jackie Kennedy and members of royal households across Europe.

A Secret Worth Stealing

It was the early 1700s and a German factory was rumoured to have cracked the code on how to make porcelain as high quality as what was found in Asia. It turns out that the Germans had used priests as spies to learn the process of turning minerals and clay and firing them at high heats to make the strong material that we know today as porcelain.

Before porcelain, earthenware broke easily and was porous enough to contaminate food and water. This new ceramic was stronger, non-porous, and completely sanitary – literally paving the way for modern dishes, plumbing, and yes, even the toilet and bathtub. In an era when clean water meant survival, porcelain was as precious as gold.

Porcelain was first produced in Asia in the mid 13th-14th centuries and was regarded as such a fine luxury that emperors kept master porcelain artisans under strict supervision to prevent others from learning the process.

The formula was considered so valuable that artisans and chemists were often forbidden from leaving the factory grounds. In the early 1700s an enterprising man named Claudius Innocentius du Paquier, sent his own network of spies to Germany to learn the secrets. By 1718, Paquier had secured the exclusive rights to produce porcelain for Austria. The factory was so expensive to operate that it ultimately required royal backing.

In 1744, the factory passed into the hands of Empress Maria Theresa (Marie Antoinette’s mother), who transformed it into an imperial enterprise. She was so concerned with protecting the brand that she allowed the brand to use the family coat of arms on its pieces. Every authentic Augarten piece still bears this “beehive” mark today.

Left: Empress Maria Theresa, who became Augarten's royal benefactor in 1877.

Right: Augarten's signature "beehive" watermark (formally known as the Bindenschild) that the porcelain factory continues to stamp on all its pieces.

Survival Through Reinvention

At the turn of the 20th century, demand for heavily ornate decorative arts began to decline, and unlike many of its peers, Augarten embraced contemporary design movements. The brand collaborated with artists from the Wiener Werkstätte, whose embrace of clean lines and geometric forms would later influence the design language we now associate with Mid-Century Modern.

Above: Josef Hoffman's Melonenservice collection (a colorful striped mocha set) that was released in 1929 in collaboration with Augarten. Hoffman co-founded Wiener Werkstätte, a production community of visual artists, in 1903.

The Philosophy: True Value Takes Time

Every single piece is still created in the historic workshops of Schloss Augarten through a process that demands patience, precision, and years of experience. The factory employs just 30 master artists, each seeing their work from raw materials to finished piece – a journey that takes three months.

It begins with a precise mixture of minerals and clay that takes shape through skill and an extraordinarily delicate touch. Whether thrown on the wheel or cast in moulds, every movement of the hand determines the proportion, tension, and elegance of the line.

Two firings – one at 930°C and 1380°C (1760°F and 2516°F) – transform the material into a work of remarkable strength and luminosity. At these temperatures, pieces actually shrink in the kiln, demanding absolute precision from the very first touch.

Left: An Augarten painter (1950s) decorating porcelain vases by hand with the popular Wiener Rose motif. This level of precision and intimate care remains at the core of Augarten's production process.

Right: A modern-day Augarten employee hand-glazing a porcelain bowl.

A Living Place of Culture

The Augarten factory sits inside Vienna’s oldest baroque park, surrounded by the same imperial gardens that once hosted Maria Theresa’s lavish gatherings.

If you ever find yourself in Vienna, the factory offers:

Guided factory tours through 300 years of porcelain history
Modeling workshops where you can shape your own porcelain figurines
Porcelain painting workshops for those with an artistic side
Champagne tours through the historic workshops

(Book your experience at augarten.com)

A sneak peek of the guided tours offered at the Augarten factory, courtesy of the Augarten Instagram page, @augarten_porzellan.

Augarten Today & The fête Assortment

Today, Augarten continues to unite centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, creating pieces that reflect the aesthetics of the present while preserving the exceptional quality for which Viennese porcelain has been recognized for over 300 years.

In the historic workshops of Schloss Augarten, the factory remains one of the last in the world capable of responding to special requests through elaborate handcraftsmanship, where the realization of unique visions – whether in design or form - is still possible. Alongside iconic shapes and classic décors, Augarten continuously develops new designs in collaboration with international designers, proving that tradition and innovation need not be at odds.

At fête, we've curated a collection that captures both the timeless elegance and playful spirit of Augarten's artistry. Our assortment includes Porcelain Lemon, Pomegranate, and pastry-shaped boxes – each a functional work of art that brings Viennese craftsmanship to your table. For those special celebrations, our elegant Champagne Bowls honor the factory's imperial heritage while elevating modern enterntaining.

We also carry the beloved Scattered Rose heritage pieces – classic Augarten florals that have graced elegant tables for generations – and giftable boxes perfect for those who appreciate beauty in every detail.

Explore our Augarten collection here, where every piece is made by the same factory that has been shaping porcelain since Marie Antoinette's mother sat the throne.

Because some secrets are worth keeping and some traditions are worth celebrating – whether you're hosting a state dinner, or simply wanting to make your everyday feel special.