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This lantern is a wonderful piece of work. Made in around 1728 in Meissen, it was based on a Chinese model. Unfortunately, though, its walls are too thick for a functioning lantern. In contrast, the original Chinese lantern has wafer-thin walls, so delicate it is almost a miracle they could be fired in the kiln without collapsing. If you look carefully at the Meissen copy, you can find the monogram of the porcelain painter Johann Ehrenfried Stadler on the paper held in the young boy’s hand.