handpainted bird, butterfly & insect decor, figural ram handles, 4-1/2" tall, 5-1/2" diameter, signed, excellent .... The earliest porcelain mark in the history of European production is the monogrammed Meissen "AR" mark, which stands for Augustus Rex, sometimes known as Augustus the Strong. As king of Saxony in the eighteenth century, Augustus commissioned the first production of European hard-paste porcelain. Soon after the Meissen Royal Manufactory began producing pieces with the famous crossed swords mark, which has become the most recognizable (and most imitated) porcelain mark in history.