A guided exploration for curious minds and those who find joy in beautiful objects and the stories they tell.
Porcelain is more than a decorative item. It reveals history, taste and craftsmanship, offering a unique way to understand culture through the objects people lived with.
This course will help you develop a deeper eye for porcelain and for the beauty, meaning and stories that pieces can hold.
Porcelain is more than a decorative item. It reveals history, taste and craftsmanship, offering a unique way to understand culture through the objects people lived with.
This course will help you develop a deeper eye for porcelain and for the beauty, meaning and stories that pieces can hold.
History of Porcelain and the Art of Seeing
5
modules
10
hours of lectures
3
interactive workshops
About me
Hello, my name is Evgeniia Falkova. I am a collector, researcher and porcelain historian based in the Netherlands.
For more than twelve years, I have explored porcelain not only as an object of beauty, but as a window into history, culture and everyday life. Thousands of objects have passed through my hands, from humble tableware to museum collections and exceptional antiques.
My work focuses on European porcelain, material culture and the history of collecting.
This course brings together years of research, teaching and hands-on experience. More than anything, it reflects the way I have learned to see objects and the way I hope to help others see them.
For more than twelve years, I have explored porcelain not only as an object of beauty, but as a window into history, culture and everyday life. Thousands of objects have passed through my hands, from humble tableware to museum collections and exceptional antiques.
My work focuses on European porcelain, material culture and the history of collecting.
This course brings together years of research, teaching and hands-on experience. More than anything, it reflects the way I have learned to see objects and the way I hope to help others see them.
I am currently developing a collaboration with the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in the Netherlands, one of Europe's leading museums dedicated to ceramics.
In 2022, an exhibition of five dinner services from my collection was held at the Yelagin Palace Museum in St Petersburg — the first project in my “porcelain journey” in which a private collection became part of a museum space.
Out of a long-standing fascination with objects and the stories they tell grew Porcelain Seasons, an international community united by a shared interest in porcelain, antiques and material culture.
“Every item opened another door - to a forgotten workshop, a family table, a changing society, a different idea of beauty. Gradually, I realised I was no longer studying objects. I was learning about people through the things they made and cherished.
Somewhere along the way, porcelain stopped being my subject and became my way of seeing the world”.
Somewhere along the way, porcelain stopped being my subject and became my way of seeing the world”.
YOU MAY RECOGNISE YOURSELF HERE
You sense that one object is better than another but cannot always explain why.
You enjoy visiting antique markets, museums and fairs and would like to learn to notice more.
You would like to understand the objects that attract you more deeply.
You have been interested in porcelain for some time, but your knowledge still feels fragmented.
WHAT THIS COURSE IS ABOUT
Porcelain is one of the most fascinating and complex languages of material culture.
Behind a simple cup or plate lie technologies, artistic traditions, changing tastes and the stories of the people who made, bought and lived with these objects.
Throughout this course, we will explore porcelain without academic jargon or unnecessary complexity.
Behind a simple cup or plate lie technologies, artistic traditions, changing tastes and the stories of the people who made, bought and lived with these objects.
Throughout this course, we will explore porcelain without academic jargon or unnecessary complexity.
Step by step, you will learn to:
- distinguish materials and techniques
- understand form, decoration and quality of craftsmanship
- navigate marks and attribution
- recognise condition and signs of age
- understand the place of objects within European history and culture
- choose objects thoughtfully and with confidence.
Gradually, porcelain will become more than simply beautiful tableware
It will become part of history, culture and one of life’s quieter pleasures - living among objects filled with meaning.
It will become part of history, culture and one of life’s quieter pleasures - living among objects filled with meaning.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is designed for curious and thoughtful enthusiasts who:
1
2
3
4
already have an interest in porcelain and wish to deepen their knowledge
enjoy museums, history and decorative arts
buy vintage and antiques
would like to organise their knowledge and develop their own taste
5
wish to feel more confident when choosing objects.
- understand the main differences between materials and techniques
- learn to recognise quality beyond surface beauty
- better understand form, style and the visual language of porcelain
- feel more confident navigating marks and attribution
- recognise restorations and signs of age
- choose objects for your home or collection with greater confidence
- develop your own taste and criteria for selection
- and, most importantly, gain the pleasure that comes from a deeper understanding of objects and the worlds they reveal.
After the course you will
Programme
5 modules | 10 hours of lectures | 3 interactive workshops and object discussions
- What is porcelain and why did it fascinate Europe?
- The invention of European porcelain and the "white gold" obsession
- Porcelain, faience, stoneware and bone china: understanding the differences
- Why porcelain became a symbol of status, refinement and taste
- Learning to look at an object: material, glaze, decoration and craftsmanship
- How objects reveal the culture and values of their time
- Why objects look the way they do: form and function
- Decoration and technique: hand-painting, transfer printing and gilding
- Understanding style without academic jargon
- The difference between beautiful, well-made and collectible
- Developing an eye for quality, proportion and design
- What marks and backstamps can - and cannot - tell us
- Makers, manufactories and common collecting myths
- Why a famous name is not always the most important thing
- Learning to assess an object beyond its mark
- Recognising restoration, repairs and later alterations
- Understanding age, condition and authenticity
- The great European porcelain traditions: Germany, France and Britain
- How ideas, styles and techniques travelled across Europe
- The influence of Asia on European porcelain
- Twentieth-century porcelain and changing tastes
- Makers and objects that deserve attention today
- Why people collect: memory, beauty and identity
- How to assess quality, condition and value
- Which imperfections matter and which can be accepted
- Building a collection with intention and personal meaning
- Developing personal taste and confidence in choosing objects
- The joy of living with beautiful objects
Choose the Experience That Suits You
COURSE
For those who would like to build a deeper understanding of porcelain, its history and the stories objects can tell.
345 €
Includes:
- • 5 live online lectures (approximately 90 minutes each)
- • 3 interactive workshops and object discussions
- • Suggested reading and additional resources
- • Access to the course community and group discussions
- • Recordings of all sessions
- • Access to course materials for 3 months
Total learning time: approximately 10 hours.
COURSE + MENTORING
For those who would like to apply their knowledge to their own collection and receive personal guidance along the way.
495 €
Includes everything in the Course package, PLUS:
- • Access to course materials for 6 months
- • One individual consultation
- • Personal review of up to three objects from your collection
- • Guidance on potential purchases
- • Personal recommendations for developing your collection
- • Additional resources and collecting guides.
Total learning time: approximately ?
Choose the Experience That Suits You
COURSE
For those who would like to build a deeper understanding of porcelain, its history and the stories objects can tell.
345 €
Includes:
- • 5 live online lectures (approximately 90 minutes each)
- • 3 interactive workshops and object discussions
- • Suggested reading and additional resources
- • Access to the course community and group discussions
- • Recordings of all sessions
- • Access to course materials for 3 months
Total learning time: approximately 10 hours.
COURSE + MENTORING
For those who would like to apply their knowledge to their own collection and receive personal guidance along the way.
495 €
Includes everything in the Course package, PLUS:
- • Access to course materials for 6 months
- • One individual consultation
- • Personal review of up to three objects from your collection
- • Guidance on potential purchases
- • Personal recommendations for developing your collection
- • Additional resources and collecting guides.
Total learning time: approximately ?
Questions, ideas or simply a shared love of beautiful objects?
I would be delighted to hear from you.
I would be delighted to hear from you.
Contacts