Q&A ON RESEARCHING MARKS ON
DRESDEN LACE FIGURINES - GERMAN PIANO BABY FIGURINE - FLOW-BLUE SET - MINTON BOWLS - CHOCOLATE POT

Your lovely Figural Group is marked with a re-issue of the original Ducal trademark, and made by LUDWIGSBURG as you correctly suggested. Please use our NAME SEARCH for Ludwigsburg to see several other marks they also used and read a brief Fact Sheet on the company. Your item dates ca 1950s - 1960s. A similar mark was also used by NIDERVILLER, but not related to your item in this case.

Dresden Lace as it is commonly called, is created using real cloth lace dipped in porcelain and then fired in the Kiln to harden once attached and formed on the piece while still malleable. For more on Dresden or Meissen styled items, please see our article on Porcelain Marks from Meissen & Dresden.

Your Set is indeed of Japanese origin. The Kanji characters on this mark readn "SUZUKI", which is the name of a Trading company (Distributors & Exporters) in operation ca early 20thC until mid-1960s. They had their items made to order (subcontracted or selected from Factory Catalogues) and sold them through Dept. Stores throughout Japan. They also exported to Europe and USA. Based on its style, I believe your Set dates ca 1900 - 1920s.

This mark was used by UNITED WILSON of Hong Kong. Please use our NAME SEARCH for United Wilson to see other variations of this mark and also read a brief Fact Sheet on the company.

There were only three companies documented as having produced a Pattern by this name: FERRYBRIDGE POTTERY (Yorkshire), GEORGE THOMAS MOUNTFORD (Staffordshire) [later MYOTT, SON & Co.], and WEDGWOOD & Co. (Staffordshire). Of these, the most likely maker of your Chinoiserie Plates is WEDGWOOD ca 1860s - 1880s.

Yes, this is indeed a lovely German Piano Baby and as noted on the piece. The mark is included in our database under at least the "CROWNS" Shape category and is listed as LEUBE & Co. Since you now know the maker, please use our NAME SEARCH for Leube & Co to view it faster and also read a brief Fact Sheet on the company. Based on the style and general condition of your item, I would date it ca 1920s - 1965.

The mark on your very elegant porcelain Chocolate Pot was used by VANTINES, a Fine Retailers & Importers located in San Francisco, CA, USA. They were in operation around 1900 and specialized in imports from Asia, including Turkey. All of their items were made by several factories and the original manufacturer is rarely noted on their wares.

Yes, the marks are very unclear, but my guess is WILLIAM ADAMS or RIDGWAY - please use our NAME SEARCH for ADAMS and then forRIDGWAY to confirm. Also, the fact that the notation "ENGLAND" is impressed near the mark indicates a post 1891 date of manufacture, so most likely ca 1890s - 1910s.

Your Set of Bowls dates ca 1890s - 1920 and was made by MINTON as a special order for some rich customer of New York-based David Collamore's fine store. The CFH initials on top side of the underplates are not related to Haviland but are rather the initials of a previous owner for whom this set was made as a special order, i.e. these are "monogrammed".

This mark is included under our "SHIELDS" Shape Category, but you can also use our NAME SEARCH for Weimar to view it faster and read a brief Fact Sheet on the company. Your mark is a bit faded and may have been difficult for you to read the diagonal text (reads WEIMAR), but it is the same mark. This particular mark was used ca 1890s - 1975, so we can only go by the style of your piece to determine its age. In my opinion, your lovely Creamer & Sugar Set dates ca 1900 - 1930s.

Your stunning Porcelain Figural Group depicting Three Drinking Men was made at VOLKSTEDT ca mid-to-late 19thC.

As you know, Volkstedt is a town in Germany where G.H. Macheleid invented white porcelain at the same time as others in Dresden and founded a factory. This main factory is officially known as AELTESTE VOLKSTEDT (Aelteste means Oldest in German) and has changed owners several times over the years. It has also created several opportunities for many Studios and smaller factories to be established in the vicinity and many of the local independent decorators purchased their blanks (undecorated white ware) from the main factory, the same way many Dresden Workshops would use Meissen blanks.

We believe yours to be related to ENS or ECKERT, and hence possibly the tiny "E" at the end of one the lines in the mark and therefore most likely dates from theTRIEBNER, ENS & ECKERT period, i.e. late 19thC. Additionally, the Country of Origin notation within or near a mark (in this case Germany) was required only after 1891, which corroborates this attribution in terms of date of manufacture. Please use our NAME SEARCH for Volkstedt to read several related Fact Sheets of the various companies & studios that were located in Volkstedt.

Because the mark on your item is partially faded, it is understandable that you did not recognize it in our database. The missing parts on your mark are an Anchor and a Crown. It is listed as MOSCHENDORF PORCELAIN (Germany) and dates ca 1898 - 1938. Please use our NAME SEARCH for Moschendorf to view it and also read a brief Fact Sheet on the company.

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