Vienna porcelain painters

Vienna, Austria · Porcelain · also recorded as Wien, Vienna Imperial manufactory painters

Transcribed by Igor Kukolj from Chaffers, William. Marks and Monograms on European and Oriental Pottery and Porcelain, 1891, Reeves & Turner, London, p.476. Scan: archive.org/details/marksmonogramson00chaf (leaf n495). Checked 22 August 2026.

Marks

The Perger mark as engraved in Chaffers 1891, page 476 — **Perger** · painted signature · *engraved in the source*Chaffers 1891, p.476
A painter's signature, not a factory mark. It identifies the hand that decorated the piece.
Script lettering — “signature”

The Foerstler mark as engraved in Chaffers 1891, page 476 — **Foerstler** · painted signature · *engraved in the source*Chaffers 1891, p.476
Recorded on classical subjects, including a plate of Ceres in the Vallet Collection.
Script lettering — “signature”

The VARSANNI mark as engraved in Chaffers 1891, page 476 — **VARSANNI** · painted signature, capitals · *engraved in the source*Chaffers 1891, p.476
Recorded on a plate of Perseus and Andromeda.
Script lettering — “signature”
Block capitals — “VARSANNI”

The K. Herr mark as engraved in Chaffers 1891, page 476 — pieces dated 1814
**K. Herr** · painted signature · *engraved in the source*Chaffers 1891, p.476
Chaffers rates him one of the best painters at the manufactory. Some signed pieces carry the date 1814, which makes this the most precisely placed signature on the page.
Script lettering — “signature”
Initials — “K”

The J. Wech mark as engraved in Chaffers 1891, page 476 — **J. Wech** · painted signature · *engraved in the source*Chaffers 1891, p.476
Recorded on mythological subjects — Aurora, Orion, Apollo and the Muses.
Script lettering — “signature”
Initials — “J”

What the source records

Perger's name appears on a porcelain cup and saucer finely painted with a nest of six cupids, some beginning to fly, on a drab ground with a richly gilt border.Chaffers 1891 · p.476
Foerstler's name occurs on a beautifully painted plate representing Ceres, in the Vallet Collection, and on other pieces with classical subjects.Chaffers 1891 · p.476
Varsanni's name appears on a porcelain plate with a highly finished painting of Perseus and Andromeda and a rich gold border.Chaffers 1891 · p.476
K. Herr was one of the best painters at the manufactory; his name is on highly finished pieces of the beginning of the nineteenth century, and some of these are dated 1814.Chaffers 1891 · p.476
J. Wech was a porcelain painter whose name appears on a plate showing a female clipping Cupid's wings, and on others with Aurora, Orion, Apollo and the Muses.Chaffers 1891 · p.476
Enamelling on copper was carried to great perfection at Vienna, the principal artist being Christof Jünger.Chaffers 1891 · p.476

Why this differs from other listings

These are painters' signatures, not factory marks, and the distinction matters: a signature tells you who decorated a piece, not who made it. Chaffers records the specific subjects each hand is associated with, which is how a signature gets corroborated rather than merely read.

The source page

Page 476 of Chaffers 1891, the source for this entry — Chaffers 1891, p.476 — public domain, from archive.org/details/marksmonogramson00chaf (leaf n495). Check the transcription against it.

What this entry does not establish

A painter's signature does not establish the factory. Vienna painters worked on ware from more than one source.
Only K. Herr is tied to a date (1814). The others are undated in the source and are left undated here.
These names are set in type by Chaffers rather than engraved as facsimiles, so the plates show his rendering of the signature, not a tracing of the original hand.

Questions

What marks does Chaffers 1891 record for Vienna porcelain painters?

5 on p.476: Perger; Foerstler; VARSANNI; K. Herr (pieces dated 1814); J. Wech. 5 of them are engraved in the source and are reproduced above; the rest are described in words only.

What dates does the source give?

The dates Chaffers attaches to these marks fall between 1814. They are his, not an inference drawn here, and several are given as approximate or open-ended in the original wording shown on each plate.

Where was Vienna porcelain painters?

Vienna, Austria. The source also records the name as Wien, Vienna Imperial manufactory painters.

Can this page tell me what my piece is worth?

No. This site reports what one nineteenth-century reference recorded, and cites the page so you can check it. It does not authenticate objects, value them, or offer an opinion on a specific piece.