German Plate

Q: I think this plate belonged to my great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents. (I’m 70.) It’s marked “Germany” and the number “47.” Does it have any value?

A: Plates with pictures of wild animals or gamebirds are called “game plates.” Your plate looks like it might have been part of a set of game plates. Sets usually included 12 plates and a large platter. Individual plates and smaller sets of plates were meant to be displayed in a cabinet or hung on the wall. Pictures were hand painted or had applied decals. Game plates were popular in the 1880s. Most were made in Germany, Bavaria and France. The mark on your plate doesn’t give a clue to the maker. It looks like it’s from the 20th century. Without a maker’s name, the value of your plate could be about $10 to $15.

M D Mark

Q: Can you identify this mark with the initials “M” and “D” beneath a tree? I’d like to know who the maker is and the age of this tray. A: This mark was used by Max Dannhorn, a company founded in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1872. The tree mark was registered in 1895. The number on […]

KPM Butterfly Dish

Q: I got this butterfly serving dish with gold handle as a wedding gift in 1957. It came from an antiques store in my town. It’s marked with a straight line above “KPM.” I’ve never found an exact match. I’d like to know more about it.

A: The initials “KPM” were used by several German porcelain makers. This mark with a vertical bar above the initials was used by the Krister Porzellan-Manufaktur (Krister Porcelain Manufactury) in Waldenburg, Germany. The company was in business under various owners and names from 1831 to 2016. Carl Franz Krister bought an existing porcelain factory in 1831 and a second factory in 1833. He made porcelain in the style of the Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur (Royal Porcelain Manufactory) of Berlin and even copied the mark, replacing the scepter in the Konigliche mark with a bar. Krister Porcelain Manufactory used this mark from 1840 to 1895. Your butterfly dish is a relish dish. Krister divided relish dishes have sold recently for $25 to $50.

RS Prussia Chocolate Pot

Q: This chocolate set was a given to my mother by a family friend who was emptying the home of a deceased family member. It was never used after my mother received it in the 1940s. The pieces are marked “RS Prussia.” Does it have value, other than sentimental or decorative? Are there collectors?

A: Your chocolate set was made by Reinhold Schlegelmilch, who opened a porcelain factory in Suhl, Thuringia, Germany, in 1869. His sons, Ehrhard and Arnold, joined the business later. Arnold opened a second factory in Tillowitz, Silesia (now Tulowice, Poland), in 1894. The two factories were consolidated in Tillowitz during World War I. Most R.S. Prussia porcelain made between 1892 and 1910 was exported to the United States. Porcelain marked “R.S. Prussia” was made before 1917. The mark has been copied since the 1960s. The handles and wavy scalloped border on your chocolate pot and cups indicate they were made from Mold 454. Your set seems to be missing a cup and saucer. Most sets have an even number of cups and saucers, anywhere from four to 12. Flower decorated R.S. Prussia sets sell for only $225 to $450. The thousand dollar sets picture people, “the Melon Eaters.”

Biscuit Jar

Q: I have a biscuit jar that has two marks on it, one that says “J & C, Louise, Bavaria,” and one with a crown over a circle. It says “High Art Semi-Hand-Painted” around the circle. The letters in the middle are faded. I’ve looked at all the crown marks on your website and can’t find this mark. Is it a fake or what is it?

A: The “J & C” mark was used by Jaeger & Co. of Marktredwitz, Bavaria, Germany. The pottery was in business from 1898 until 1979, when it was sold to the Sebring Co. of Bari, Italy. The factory closed in 1986. Jaeger & Co. made household, hotel, and decorative porcelain and sold porcelain blanks to decorating studios in the United States and other countries. After 1945, most of the company’s porcelain was sold in Germany. The “J & C, Bavaria” mark was used between 1898 and 1923. “Louise” is the name of the series. The crown mark isn’t a fake, it’s the decorator’s mark. Unfortunately, the initials are too faded to read.

 

 

 

Rare Meissen Smashes Record Prices

An incredible collection of rare 18th-century Meissen porcelain brought $15 million, seven times its pre-sale estimate, at a fall Sotheby’s auction in New York. The sale had more than 100 lots including boxes, canisters, tankards, figurines, dishes, coffeepots, tea ware, milk jugs, tureens, cane handles, clock cases, vases and scent bottles, most with Asian designs. […]

Arzberg Coffeepot

Q: I have a porcelain coffeepot that was my mother’s, so I know it’s at least 50 years old. There are two marks on the bottom. One is a circle with “Germany” and then another circle inside that. The other mark is a crown above a shield with the initials “P” and “A” in opposite corners and “Arzberg, Bavaria” below the shield. I’d like to know what it’s worth.

A: This shield mark with initials was used by porcelain factory Arzberg, Bavaria, Germany. The factory operated under various names and owners starting about 1887. It was called Porzellanfabrik Arzberg (Porcelain Factory Arzberg) beginning in 1927. This mark was used from 1927 to 1946. Arzberg Porcelain has been part of Rosenthal GmbH since 2015. A similar Arzberg coffeepot sold for $30.

Royal Bonn Urn

Q: I’m looking to identify the attached mark. There are two initials and “1755” in a shield with a crown on top.

A: This mark was used on porcelain made by Franz Anton Mehlem, who operated a pottery in Bonn, Germany, beginning in 1836. The mark includes his initials, “FAM,” conjoined and was used from about 1875 to 1890. The number “1755” is the first year a pottery operated on the site. This mark can also be found with the words “Royal Bonn,” a trade name used by Franz Anton Mehlem, The company was sold to Villeroy & Boch in 1921. It closed in 1931 and the factory was demolished a few years later. A 10-inch Royal Bonn urn in perfect condition might sell for $200; a 30-inch urn for up to $800