Porcelain, earthenware, ceramics

The Conta & Boehme factory in the town of PESNEKK (Thuringia, Pesnekk, Germany) was founded in 1790, but gained its worldwide renown in 1804 when it was purchased by Ernst Conta and Christian Boehme. The "Conta & Boehme" manufactory was one of the best producers of porcelain figurines known as "fairings" - souvenirs from fairs. In the mid-19th century, the colorful Sunday fairs were the main place for shopping, where townspeople and travelers would bring home gifts for their loved ones: small hand-painted porcelain figurines for interior decoration, porcelain toys, trinket boxes, vases, pen holders, and tobacco pipe holders. It was during the mid-19th century that the first prototypes of modern matches appeared. They were larger than today's matches and needed to be stored somewhere. The owners wanted to show off this new innovation to their guests, so they would buy hand-painted porcelain boxes for matches at the fairs and place them in prominent positions. Until World War I, the Conta & Boehme manufactory mass-produced such boxes and other souvenirs, which enjoyed immense popularity and became a symbol in the homes of every wealthy German.