Boehm Porcelain Birds

Q I have four Boehm porcelain birds given to me in 1972. Some have the horse’s head mark with ”Boehm” and ”Made in U.S.A.” Others have a feather with ”Edward Marshall Boehm.” I have a cygnet swan on a lily pad, black-capped chickadee on a holly branch, and male and female Canadian geese. Which are more valuable?

A Edward Marshall Boehm (1913-1969) was a veterinarian’s assistant until 1950, when he and his wife, Helen (1920-2010), opened a studio in Trenton, N.J. He designed and made porcelain sculptures while she promoted the business. In 1953 they bought the Osso China Co. in Trenton and renamed it Edward Marshall Boehm Inc. At first, dishes were made, but the company is best-known for its elaborate, lifelike bird figurines. After Edward died in 1969, Helen continued to run the business and a feather was added to the marks. In 1970 Helen opened a Boehm subsidiary in Malvern, England. She sold the company in 2003, but it’s still in business in Trenton under the name Boehm Porcelain. The 1950s and ’60s were the heyday of collecting Boehm wildlife and bird figures. Values peaked in the 1970s and don’t show any sign of going that high again. Each of your figures is worth about $100 to $275, regardless of mark.