Royal Vienna Hand Painted Cabinet Plate, " The Melon Eater" Signed F. Moser, Measures 9 5/8" Diameter Du Paquier began producing Viennese porcelain by 1718, making Vienna the second-oldest manufacturer of hard-paste porcelain in Europe. In 1744, facing financial difficulties, du Paquier sold his company to Empress Maria Theresia, of the Austrian royal family, who established the Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, or Royal Vienna. For more than a century, Royal Vienna produced beautiful Rococo and Neoclassical pieces, often depicting the genre scenes of famous contemporary artists. However, Meissen???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s Samuel St???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????tzel quickly turned on his employer and sold the company???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s closely guarded secret ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? the use of kaolin, or china clay ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? to Vienna???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s Claudius Innocentius du Paquier.