Meissen (German, est. 1710) is a porcelain manufacturer credited with pioneering hard-paste porcelain in Europe. Under the direction of Johann Friedrich Böttger, the company first began producing red stoneware until a formula for white porcelain was perfected several years later. Beginning in 1722, all Meissen objects were marked with the now-famous crossed swords logo in an effort to set the company’s products apart from the forgeries that had started to appear on the market.

Over the next decade, efforts were made to improve the Meissen business through the introduction of technological innovations. The business expanded to include the production of figurines, large-scale animals, watches, and tableware, executed in the rococo style.

In the 19th century, under Ernst August Leuteritz, many of the objects were modernized. The "Second Rococo" style, as it became known, incorporated lacework details and applied flowers. Though the company produced some objects in the Art Nouveau style in the beginning of the 20th century, its trademark remained revived 18th-century models.

Suffering under a series of restrictions on artistic expression during World War II and the subsequent Communist rule, the company returned to its pre-war production values during the late 1960s.

In 2010, Meissen celebrated its tercentenary.