Army Soup Bowl

Q: I found a porcelain soup bowl that was hidden in the storage area of my house and remembered the story my mother told me when I was a child, almost 40 years ago. The soup bowl belonged to the head officer of the German Army in the small city of Amfissa, located in central Greece, during the period of the German occupation of Greece (1941-1944). He was staying at the house of my mother’s aunt, whose family was one of the richest of the region and had one of the nicest houses. The officer chose her house as his residence. The bowl remained at the house of my mother’s aunt and was eventually passed to my mother and then to me. Can you help me evaluate the bowl and its significance in the market? The bottom of the bowl is printed with the sign of the German Army and the name of the manufacturer, Rosenthal.

A: Rosenthal and some of the other German porcelain manufacturers made tableware for the German armed forces. The flying eagle is the symbol of the Luftwaffe, the German aerial forces. The letters “Fl.U.V.” stand for Flieger Unterkunfte Verwaltung, which translates as Aviators Accommodations Administration, now called Flight Barracks Administration. The value, depending on size, is about $50 to $150. A copy of the history kept with the bowl might add to the historic value and price.

Rosenthal Vase

Q: I cannot find any info on this Rosenthal vase marked “Selb-Bavaria.” Can you help? 

A: Philipp Rosenthal began decorating porcelain made by other companies in 1880. He started a porcelain factory in Selb, Bavaria, in 1891. Variations of this mark with a crown between two crossed swords were used for many years. There are several clues to the year the mark on your vase was used. The flourish and extended “tail” on the last letter of the Rosenthal name, the words “Selb-Bavaria” with a hyphen between them, and the dot between the bottom ends of the crossed swords all indicate this mark was used by the company’s artware department in 1928. Rosenthal is now part of Sambonet Paderno Industries, which is headquartered in Orfengo, Novara, Italy.

 

 

Rosenthal Bowl

Q: This is such an unusual bowl that I’ve held onto it for many years. Can you tell me who created it and what its value may be?

A: Your serving dish with two marks on the bottom was made by Rosenthal at its factory in Selb, Bavaria, Germany. The company was founded by Philip Rosenthal in 1880. Dinnerware sets, coffee sets, and tea sets were made in your bowl’s “Versailles” shape at Rosenthal’s factory beginning in 1894. The mark with a crown over crossed swords and the initials “R” and “C” was used from 1898 to 1906. The “Delft” mark was used c.1900. Your bowl is decorated with a scene that could have been used on a Dutch Delft plate, but it’s on a German Rosenthal plate made about 1900. Rosenthal was bought by the Waterford Wedgwood Group in 1998 and by Sambonet Paderno Industries, a manufacturer of tableware and kitchen accessories in Orfento, Novaro, Italy, in 2009. Retail value of your plate: $100.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosenthal Tray

Q: When my great-aunt died, I inherited a tray that belonged to her mother. Unfortunately, the tray had been broken and poorly repaired. Newspaper got glued to the back of the tray and covered up part of the mark. Can you tell me who made this and how old it is?

A: You have to be a detective to solve this mystery. First, tear off as much of the bits of newspaper as you can. Search online or in a book of marks for similar marks that include a crown and crossed swords. Some sources list marks by city and country, so look for marks from Selb, Bavaria. (Your local library may have a comprehensive book of marks, like “Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks.”) Find something that matches the part of the mark you can read, then look for the remaining letters in the mark. Rosenthal established a factory in Selb, Bavaria, in 1880. Ownership changed several times, but Rosenthal china is still being made in Bavaria (now a state of Germany). The company used marks similar to yours from c.1910 to 1933. After 1910 a series of dots or dashes in different parts of the mark was used to indicate the year. The mark on your tray was used between 1907 and 1910. We can’t see the top of the crown, but if there is a dot above it, it was made in 1926. This is a good example of why you should never try to repair a piece of porcelain yourself. If the piece is valuable, it is worth contacting a restoration service that can make invisible repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mystery Mustache Cup

Q: A friend owns a mustache cup with this mark. Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?

A: RC with a crown is a mark introduced by Philipp Rosenthal c.1900. He established a porcelain-painting business at castle Schloss Erkersreuth in Selb, Germany, in 1879. Rosenthal & Co. began making porcelain in 1891. Sanssouci is a line of dinnerware introduced in 1926. The relief design was inspired by the stucco ceiling in the Potsdam Palace of Sanssouci, near Berlin. Sanssouci porcelain was made in plain white or ivory with floral decorations, and in delft patterns. That is why the word “delft” is also on your mustache cup. It must have been made about 1926-1930.

Rosenthal China

R.C. stands for Rosenthal china. The factory was established in Selb, Germany, c.1879. This mark was used from 1891 to 1904. The factory is still making fine-quality tablewares and figurines. Rosenthal was acquired by the Waterford Wedgwood Group in 1998.