Head of Augustus

Other entrepreneurial operations for porcelain arose in Europe following the success of Meissen. Marchese Carlo Ginori was granted a monopoly to produce porcelain in Tuscany by the ruling Austrians in 1735, and developed a thriving soft-paste porcelain firm still in production today, Doccia (now Richard-Ginori) in Florence. Ginori gave another, more affordable, life in porcelain to the works of famous Florentine Baroque designer Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652-1725), whose original models he purchased. As well, his skilled modelers recreated Italian Imperial portrait busts such as this head of the Roman Emperor Augustus (who ruled from 27 BC - 14 AD).