
Industrial shenanigans, new technology and cross-continent trade…sounds like 2025 not 1725. Discover the world of Baroque porcelain at the A Marvellous Science exhibition in the Liechtenstein Gartenpalais.
- Focus on Du Paquier porcelain
- Rarely-seen highlights from the Liechtenstein Princely Collections
- Remarkable historical ambience, too
- Runs Jan 30 – Mar 30, 2025
- Free entry, open daily
- See also:
A Marvellous Science

(Perhaps the stand out piece in the exhibition: Du Paquier Manufactory, Vienna (1718–1744), Covered Tureen with Chinoiserie Decoration and Fish Handles, c. 1730/35 © LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna)
They called porcelain “white gold”. A luxury material with more than a hint of the exotic about it…and only available in Europe as a tremendously expensive import from Asia.
Unsurprisingly, then, the Europeans yearned to learn the secrets of this revered material for themselves. Not an easy task as it turned out.
The first manufactory eventually opened at Meissen in Saxony in the early 1700s. The Du Paquier manufactory followed in Vienna in 1718.
Both locations indulged in what we might call questionable practices to woo expertise away from each other.
Such facts hide an even more intriguing story, though: the production and collection of porcelain as a reflection of a continent emerging into a new era. An era characterised by intellectual curiosity, economic development, and baroque joie de vivre (at least for those who could afford it).
That background forms the context for the three galleries in the A Marvellous Science exhibition at the Liechtenstein Gartenpalais.

(The turtle at the bottom is actually a folded napkin; © LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna)
The opening room illuminates the pre-porcelain phase in Europe, with the growth of science, promising ceramic efforts and the absorption of Asian motifs and materials.
Books, paintings and furniture illustrate the points alongside (of course) porcelain and other ceramic objects.
The early 18th-century Japanese porcelain vases and late 17th-century Japanese exquisite lacquer cabinets caught my particular attention: both displayed on gilded baroque European tables filled with curves and ornamental elements.
The juxtaposition mimics the blurring of cultural edges as a result of trade.
On that theme, look also for a Chinese porcelain water jug from around 1580-1610 with silver mountings added in England to better fit European expectations.
The second room then features highlights from prestigious collections of porcelain, notably from those put together by past Princes of Liechtenstein. Though the exhibition also draws on loans that add further depth to the historical context.
Here we’re left with an understanding of how the Asian influence merged with the baroque environment to allow manufacturers to escape the restrictions of traditional religious and monarchical designs.

(Arita, Edo Period (1603–1868), Large Dish with Imari Decoration, c. 1700 © LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, Vaduz-Vienna)
Du Paquier, in particularly, introduced a certain jocular playfulness to their pieces.
For example, a colourful 1725 Du Paquier porcelain clock case manages to combine Chinese dragons and lions with European youths and putti (and an unexpected fruit bowl).
As such, A Marvellous Science offers an intrinsic lesson for today’s world. Trade and cultural exchange brings benefits to all sides, despite the constraints of industrial competition.
The final room reveals how porcelain items played into the baroque culture of feasts and celebrations, as illustrated by magnificent centrepieces, bottle coolers, services and more.
Spend time here, and you begin feel like you wouldn’t mind popping into a masked ball to explore the contents of one of those fish-shaped tureens.
And, of course, the surrounding gallery architecture, illusionist ceiling frescoes, and glimpses of the wider pristine Garden Palace interior only enhances the experience of fine porcelain and baroque design. After all, the building dates back to the same era.
Dates, tickets & tips
Admire the porcelain from January 30th to March 30th, 2025 daily between 10am and 6pm. Entrance to the exhibition is free.
Unlike Meissen, the Du Paquier name does not survive today. But Vienna’s Augarten inherited its porcelain legacy; for more ceramic pleasure, visit their permanent porcelain exhibition at the Viennese manufactory.
How to get to the porcelain
For travel tips, see the Gartenpalais article.
Address: Fürstengasse 1, 1090 Vienna