Franz-porcelains

Franz Collection is a Taiwanese porcelain brand named after the founder's German name "Franz". The collection of this company includes porcelain tableware, vase, and jewelry. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Taipei, Franz Collection Inc. designs, creates and markets a variety of functional and home decor accessories.

Its design and research center is based in Taipei, Taiwan, with production in Mainland China. In addition to sales, marketing and distribution facilities in the United States, Franz has representative offices in Europe and different parts of China, and works with distributors in South East Asia.

The company owns and operates approximately 150 retail stores in Asia. Its artworks have been distributed by several thousand retailers in 66 countries, including high-profile department stores and shopping centers such Bloomingdale's in the U.S., Mitsukoshi in Taiwan, Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta, Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, Takashimaya in Singapore, Rustan’s in the Philippines, as well as Abu Dhabi Mall and the Mall of the Emirates in the United Arab Emirates. It has also done exhibitions at Harrods in London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

Franz Collection aims to revive Chinese porcelain heritage using traditional handicraft and modern technology. The brand’s three-dimensional porcelain art integrates classical, contemporary, Western, and Eastern aesthetics. Inspired by nature, FRANZ strives to interpret the perfection and harmony among Heaven, Earth, and Humanity and deliver the eternal values of truth, kindness, and beauty by combining the powers of science, culture, and art.

Media exposure

The brand is featured or referred in prominent media including The New York Times[1], The Financial Times[2], The Wall Street Journal, CNN[3], The Washington Post [4], , Time[5], Elle Décor[6], and Vogue. The Harvard University Business School used Franz Collection as a case study in their publication.[7]

Collaboration with international museums and brands

Franz Collection’s museum partners include the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Casa Milà in Barcelona, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Its artworks were also carried by the museum shops of the Louvre and the Tokyo National Museum during special exhibitions. The brand has been exhibited in many museums around the world, including Europe’s largest porcelain museum, Porzellanikon Selb in Germany, and the French national porcelain museum, Adrien Dubouché in Limoges. FRANZ also collaborated with famous French fashion house Lanvin, piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons, Disney, and Scotch whisky Royal Salute.

Celebrities & Franz Collection

The artworks of Franz Collection have been gifted, collected, and received by various religious leaders, national leaders, royal families and celebrities around the world, including the following:

  • Pope Benedict XVI (received Franz from President Ma of Taiwan R.O.C.),
  • Pope Francis (received Franz from President Ma of Taiwan R.O.C.),
  • Chinese leaders (President Hu and Prime Minister Wen) gifted Franz to American President Obama[8], Russian President Putin, British Prime Minister Brown, and German Chancellor Merkel,
  • Taiwanese leaders gifted Franz to African and Latin American national leaders,
  • American President Bush Senior gifted Franz to his family and friends for Christmas,
  • French President Chirac & Prime Minister Valls,
  • Singaporean President S.R. Nathan & Prime Minister Lee,
  • Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gonsalves,
  • Israeli President Peres,
  • First Ladies from U.S., Japan, Guatemala, Croatia, Russia, El Salvador, etc.,
  • King of Malaysia, Queen of Nepal, Prince of Morocco (gifted Franz to his brother the King), Princesses and Sheikh of Kuwait, King and Princess of Travancore, etc.,
  • Sir Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana, Don McLean, Richard Clayderman, etc.,
  • Andre Agassi[9], Rafael Nadal[10], Marat Safin, Vera Zvonareva, Maria Sharapova, etc.,

Design team

The brand’s designers hail from around the globe including Taiwan, China, Japan, the United States, France, Germany and Israel. These rich and varied cultural backgrounds reflect FRANZ’s commitment to diversity and ensure that FRANZ designs remain international and cross-cultural in their appeal.

Design style and artistry

Demolding for “Under Cut” is a great challenge in manufacturing porcelain. Experts in the company independently developed a unique patented technology, “Method of Making A Ceramic Ornament Having Short Undercuts On Surface Thereof,” which has successfully overcome this problem. This level of complexity is also possible due to a combination of advanced 3D printing technology and traditional handicraft that involves hand-sculpting of prototypes, hand-assembly of parts, and hand-painting the bisques. All these steps allow FRANZ to produce unique artworks that are vibrantly colored and have three-dimensional details and relief.

FRANZ invented a special glaze formula. This glaze allows FRANZ to save energy and reduce CO2 emissions because this formula allows for a lower firing temperature of 1,205°C (2201°F). Additionally, this glaze contains neither animal byproduct nor lead yet still achieves the same effect of vitrification that is seen and prized in traditional bone china. This means all FRANZ porcelain pieces are safe to use as tableware, being fully functional works of art. All pieces are FDA approved and meet or exceed comparable international standards.

Franz Collection's commitment to green manufacturing processes was recognized. In 2010, Franz Collection was invited by British ZED pavilion to exhibit at 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Awards

Franz has won many awards including the following:

  • 2017 – Jiangxi Province Most Influential Ten Cultural Enterprise, Gold Azalea Award, China,
  • 2015 – Cross-Strait Cultural Expo Excellent Chinese Handicrafts, Gold Award, China,
  • 2014 – Presidential Innovation Award, Taiwan,
  • 2013 – TAIWAN Mittelstand Award, Taiwan,
  • 2012 – 25 Influential Chinese in Global Fashion, Forbes,
  • 2012 – Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Taiwan, Ernst & Young,
  • 2012 - National Gold Award of Excellence, Taiwan,
  • 2011 - Excellence and Innovation Award, Taiwan,
  • 2011 – Top 100 Taiwan Brands,
  • 2006~2011 – National Silver Award of Excellence, Taiwan,
  • 2006~2012 – Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts, UNESCO,
  • 2005 – National Gold Award of Excellence, Taiwan,
  • 2004 – Certificate of Excellence, Taiwan,
  • 2003 – The Best for Ceramic Gift, The GUILD of Specialist Gift Retailers, England,
  • 2002 – The Best in Gift Award, New York International Gift Fair, USA,


References

  1. ↑ The New York Times http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/the-vatican-and-the-other-china/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
  2. ↑ Financial Times https://www.ft.com/search?q=Franz+Chen
  3. ↑ CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/27/us/obama-leaders-gifts/index.html
  4. ↑ Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/04/every-gift-given-to-barack-obama-between-2009-and-2012-ranked/
  5. ↑ Time http://world.time.com/2013/03/20/new-pope-offers-taiwan-rare-chance-for-diplomacy/
  6. ↑ Elle Décor http://www.elledecor.com/shopping/home-accessories/a3647/steeped-in-style-a-72360/
  7. ↑ Harvard Business School Publishing https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/resources/marketing/docs/TMN_Spring2011M10608.pdf
  8. ↑ Federal Register https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/04/26/2013-09945/office-of-the-chief-of-protocol-gifts-to-federal-employees-from-foreign-government-sources-reported#t-1
  9. ↑ Los Angeles Times http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/01/andre-agassi-shows-nude-photo-of-steffi-graf-for-charity-or-does-he.html
  10. ↑ Apple Daily https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20130415/34952857/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.