Q: I have a tea set marked with a crown over the words “KPM, Made in Poland.” I would like to know who made it and how old it is.
A: The “KPM” mark was first used by Meissen in 1723-24 to indicate that a piece was made by the Royal Porcelain Manufacturer (Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur). In the 1800s, several other German factories began using “KPM” marks, hoping to make customers think their porcelain was high-quality. One of them was Krister Porcelain Manufactory, which was founded by Carl Franz Krister in Waldenburg, Silesia, Germany, in 1831. Waldenburg became part of Poland when World War II ended in 1945 and the name of the town was changed to Walbrzych, Poland. The company’s name was changed to Krzysztof Porcelain Factory in 1952. The company is still in business. The mark on your tea set was used from 1945 to 1952.
