About 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 - who majored in German Literature while attending university and was given the German name "Franz" by his professor - adopted his college nickname and 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 has made substantial investments in R&D and production facilities, and his team of talented artists is now recognized in the global market. Chen's operations include sculpting and design centers in China, Taiwan, Europe and the United States, as well as more than 4,000 stores in markets around the world.

Franz's design studio and operation headquarters are located in Taiwan, helping the country establish a reputation as a producer of fine porcelain. Chen has managed to maintain his competitive edge by focusing on creating unique and functional home accessories and gifts. This marketing strategy has been strongly supported by the Taiwan government, as it has brought recognition to the country and has helped support the creative industries that the government has been promoting.

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.

While researching new glazes and techniques to improve the aesthetics of chinaware, Sun's expertise also has influenced the artistic cultivation of the company's output both in form and context, and his sharp instincts have guided the distinguished style of Franz porcelain.

With a decade-long 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 Museum.

His work has also gained attention in other prestigious museums all over the world, including the German Staatliche Museen Kassel and Uebersee Museum Bremen, which held individual exhibitions of Sun's work. The most famous ceramic museum in North America - Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York - also collects his works.

Motivated and challenged by a deep seated love of nature, Franz Porcelain's initial product lines included delicate butterflies, fragile flowers, whimsical animals, and other motifs that successfully and uniquely combined traditional Chinese character with classic Art Nouveau designs. Even with the newest designs that enthuse collectors every year, each piece of Franz Porcelain melds the essence of Oriental culture with Western artistic styling.

Over a dozen separate processes are involved with the production of the delicately sculpted Franz Porcelain tabletop, vases, and decorative accents. Experimentation with glazing, decorating and firing techniques by the artisans at Franz for years has allowed them to develope the finest techniques possible. 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 degrees Celsius. The end results are aesthetically pleasing, and create a distinctively stylish décor collection.

Every Franz piece that we deliver to our valuable customers, superbly illustrates Franz Porcelain creators' graceful design, intricate skills, and the desire for perfection. Franz Porcelain continues to invest in production techniques and their highly skilled artisans continue to ensure that these unique designs can be recreated in fine detail.

Franz Collection also proudly presents their two featured artists: G.G. Santiago and Ute Patel-Missfeldt. Each of these artists’ works are highly recognized throughout the world. We are honored to share these exclusive works of art in the Franz collection. We know you will enjoy the exquisite design featured in our Franz collection.