Herend History: Where It Is Made and How
Last updated October 24, 2026. Written by Tamar Medzadourian, Paris Tableware, Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Herend porcelain is made by the Herend Porcelain Manufactory in Herend, a small town near the city of Veszprém in western Hungary. The works was founded there in 1826, turned to fine porcelain after Mór Fischer took over in 1839, and still shapes, paints and gilds its porcelain by hand.
Where Herend is made
Herend porcelain comes from the manufactory in the town of Herend, which still shapes, paints and gilds its pieces by hand. According to Herend's own timeline, the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago marked the beginning of Herend exports to the United States.
A timeline from 1826 to today
All dates come from Herend's history timeline on herend.com.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1826 | Vince Stingl, a ceramist from Sopron trained in Vienna, founds the works. |
| 1839 | Mór Fischer takes over and sets out to make porcelain to international standards. |
| 1851 | At the Great Exhibition in London, Queen Victoria orders a set with butterflies and flowers, and Fischer names the pattern after her. |
| 1855 | Herend wins a top prize at the Paris world's fair. |
| 1867 | Emperor Francis Joseph ennobles Fischer, who adds the name Farkasházi. |
| 1872 | The manufactory is named Supplier to the Imperial and Royal Court. |
| 1896 | Fischer's grandson, Jenő Farkasházi Fischer, takes over. |
| 1933 | The Chicago World's Fair marks the start of Herend exports to the US. |
| 1939 | A centenary exhibition, counting from 1839. |
| 1948 | The manufactory is nationalized on March 2. |
| 1964 | The Herend Porcelain Museum opens to the public. |
| 1976 | A 150th anniversary, after research established 1826 as the founding year. |
| 1992 | Herend Porcelain Manufactory Ltd. is formed on June 30, with employees holding 75 percent of the shares. |
| 1999 | The Porcelanium visitor center is built in Herend. |
The two founding years explain why some anniversary marks on the base of older pieces count from 1839 and others from 1826. Our guide to Herend marks shows them.
How a piece of Herend is made
Herend's own technology pages describe these steps:
- Paste. Kaolin is the main raw material, with feldspar and quartz.
- Shaping. Plates are thrown onto plaster molds. Other shapes are cast in plaster molds with a liquid paste, and figurines made of several parts are assembled by hand.
- Openwork. On pierced pieces, each hole is cut by hand with a double-edged knife.
- Biscuit firing at about 950°C (about 1,740°F).
- Glazing and glost firing at about 1,400°C (about 2,550°F), which gives the porcelain its shine.
- Painting. Painters use metal-oxide paints and squirrel-hair brushes. Some designs are first outlined with a pen.
- Gilding and decor firing. Herend uses real gold, and a last firing at about 800°C (about 1,470°F) fixes the decoration to the surface.
Why Herend costs what it does
The price follows the process. A painted piece is fired three times, each motif is painted by hand, the gilding is real gold, and openwork is cut one hole at a time. A fishnet figurine is painted scale by scale.
Patterns named for royal and noble clients
Several of Herend's best-known dinnerware patterns are named for their first customers. Wikipedia lists Queen Victoria, Esterházy, Batthyány, Rothschild and Apponyi among them, and Herend's timeline records Queen Victoria's 1851 order. Herend's own website lists the Apponyi pattern under Apponyi, with the same AV decor code that Paris Tableware's catalog uses for Chinese Bouquet Green. You can see these patterns at Paris Tableware in Herend Queen Victoria dinnerware, Herend Rothschild Bird and Herend Chinese Bouquet dinnerware, and the fishnet decoration in Herend roosters and hens.
Visiting Herend
The manufactory runs the Porcelanium visitor center in Herend. It holds the Minimanufactory, where a guided tour of about 40 minutes shows porcelain being made, and the Herend Porcelain Museum, which first opened to the public in 1964. The center is seasonal; for 2026, Herend lists it as closed from November 15. Check Herend's visitor information for current dates before you plan a trip.
Common questions
Where is Herend china made?
In Herend, a small town near Veszprém in western Hungary, at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, which was founded there in 1826.
Why is Herend so expensive?
Each painted piece is fired three times, painted by hand with squirrel-hair brushes, and gilded with real gold. Openwork is cut by hand one hole at a time.
How old is Herend?
The works was founded in 1826 by Vince Stingl. Mór Fischer took over in 1839, and the manufactory has dated its founding to 1826 since research confirmed it before the 1976 anniversary.
Can you visit the Herend factory?
Yes. The Porcelanium visitor center in Herend offers guided tours of the Minimanufactory and a porcelain museum. It is seasonal, so check herend.com for current opening dates.
Shop Herend at Paris Tableware
Paris Tableware carries current Herend dinnerware and figurines, handmade in Herend, Hungary, with free shipping on orders over $150 within the continental US.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 24, 2026.