For a long time, this sculptor worked as the chief model-maker at the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Over nearly half a century at the Saint Petersburg enterprise, he created numerous original plastic forms. The works of August Karl Spiess (1817—1904) span the second half of the 19th century, a period rich in cultural transformation.

Meissen is a German city known for its porcelain products. Meissen porcelain is considered one of the most famous and prestigious types of porcelain products in the world. The history of Meissen porcelain begins in the XVIII century, when in 1708 Ernst Bottger, an alchemist and inventor, was able to create the first porcelain in Europe.