How Herend Figurines Are Made

Herend figurines are made of the world’s finest porcelain by excellent sculptors, master painters and skilled designers in Hungary as they have been for almost 200 years. The manufacturing process is lengthy and labor intensive with multiple quality control inspections along the way to guarantee each figurine meets the high quality standards that separate Herend porcelain from all the rest.

Each Herend figurine starts with a porcelain mixture made of kaolin, quartz and feldspar. The porcelain mixture is poured or pressed into a mold to create the figurine's shape. Each piece is then fired in a kiln for the first time. After the first firing, the figurine is inspected by an experienced Herend In-Production Quality Control Inspector. If a piece does not meet the quality standards it is destroyed.

The good pieces that pass the first inspection move on to the next stage of production and are individually hand-dipped in a white glaze before being fired for the second time. Following the second kiln firing, each glazed figurine that is now smooth and shiny is inspected for the second time. Again, any piece that fails inspection is destroyed while the good pieces that pass inspection move onto the painting department.

In the painting department, each Herend figurine is hand-painted by highly skilled and experienced artisans. After each color application, the figurine is fired again until all the needed colors are applied. Upon the completion of painting, the 24 karat gold accents are added to the figurine before it is inspected by the Foreman of the Painting Department. Any minor flaws are fixed and any figurines that fail to pass the inspection are destroyed.

The Herend trademark is then affixed to the bottom of the porcelain figurines that pass inspection before they are fired in the kiln for the final time. One final inspection is done after the last firing to make sure the finished figurine is of the highest quality and ready to leave the Herend factory for one of the Authorized Dealers around the world.