Franz Porcelain

Founded in June 2002, Franz Collection Inc. designs, creates and markets a variety of functional and home decor accessories. Created using the finest Chinese clay and glazes, the collection includes porcelain tableware, vases and decorative accents, as well as a line of exquisite jewelry. More than a dozen separate processes go into the production of the intricately sculpted Franz Porcelain pieces.

The Founder of Franz Porcelain

Francis Chen, founder and president of Franz Collection Inc., is recognized worldwide as a successful artist and entrepreneur. Following his vision to revive the Chinese porcelain art, Chen created his own collection of fine porcelain tabletop and decorative accents. His products can now be found in a variety of locations across United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.  Since creating Franz in June 2002, Chen's team of talented artists is now recognized in the global market.

Art Consultant

Chao Sun, legendary ceramic artist and Art Consultant for Franz Collection Inc., has devoted more than 30 years to researching ancient glazing techniques. Sun was a key influencer in the launch of Franz Porcelain, and played an important role in how Francis Chen, founder and president of Franz Collection Inc., drove the direction of the company. Demonstrating an understanding of the possibilities of porcelain, he conducted systematic research into the techniques of ceramic glazes and firings applied throughout the Chinese dynasties, and then applied modern techniques suitable for today's market.

Sun spent a 10 year tenure at the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, which houses ancient ceramics of the Chinese emperors.  Sun's own designs are highly acclaimed and have been purchased to supplement collections in distinguished museums, including London's British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museaum.  Sun's individual collection has been exhibited in the prestigious German Staatliche Museum Kassel and Uebersee Museum Bremen.  The most famous ceramic museum in North America - Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York - also collects his works.

Technique

Inspired by the love for nature, Franz Porcelain developed delicate butterflies, fragile flowers, whimsical animals, and other motifs that successfully and uniquely combine traditional Chinese character with classic Art Nouveau designs. Every piece of Franz Porcelain blends the essence of Oriental culture with the styling inspired by Western artistry. 

Franz's talented staff of artisans has experimented with the many ways to glaze, decorate and fire ceramics for decades. Today, they employ traditional underglazing techniques as well as colored glazing, crystalline glazing and overglazing to produce unique and elegant products. Using the underglazing technique, the finest Chinese clay is painted with a subtle Oriental color palette, coated with a layer of transparent glaze, and put into a kiln for firing at a temperature of about 1,000 Celsius degrees. The end results are aesthetically pleasing, and create a distinctively stylish décor collection. Every piece of porcelain that Franz Porcelain delivers superbly illustrates Franz Porcelain creators' graceful design, intricate skills, and the desire for perfection.

Awards

• "Best in Gift" - New York International Gift Fair 2002
• Butterfly collecting nectar design porcelain sculptured handle vase "Honorable Award" - Taiwan Good Craft 2003
• Papillon" butterfly design round vase "Fashion Award" - Taiwan Good Craft 2003
• 17th Annual Arts Awards - Dallas, TX Premier awards program for the home decorative accessory industry Tabletop Finalist
• National Assoc. of Limited Edition Dealers Annual Awards Decorative Candle and Accessory of the year award - Ladybug Candleholder
• National Gold Award of Excellence - Presented by Taiwan President, Chen Shui-bian Tabletop - Ladybug Collection
• NALED, National Association of Gift and Collectible Dealers Annual Awards 2005 Fashion Accessory Line of the Year - Morning Glory Pendant

Meaning of the Franz Logo

Franz logo incorporates the calligraphic writing of the Chinese character 'CHEN' and a soaring seagull together in harmony. It symbolizes the core values shared by company employees and that is a grand vision developed from the glorious history of East and West expresses pride of being modern Chinese.

Meaning of the Stamps

Basically there are 3 stamps (signatures) on the base of each item. One is the Franz Collection logo. The other two are signatures of the sculptor and the designer for that particular piece of Franz porcelain.

We invite you to browse our store to take a peek at the Franz collection we carry.  We are available to answer any questions or special requests that you may have.  We hope you have found this guide helpful and would love to see your vote below.