Vintage Porcelain

Finding a piece of vintage porcelain , with a well known identifying mark will make an antique collector want to jump for joy. There are many manufacturers still producing works of art today, but the main items being collected are the ones that were created in earlier years during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Whether you find a piece at an antique shop , a yard sale or a flea market, knowing a little about the history of who made it and when it was made , makes the hunt even more enjoyable. This article should help you to learn more about several of the main creators of vintage porcelain.

Limoges

Limoges created porcelain dinnerware,and many serving pieces such as, tea sets, and chocolate, salad and fruit sets. Many of these sets were decorated with decals. Production of Limoges porcelain ceased in the early 1950's after a destructive fire. They then began producing semi-vitreous china. They went through several name changes after beginning business in 1900. In 1949 the name was changed to American Limoges China Company due to a dispute with Limoges China of France.

Royal Doulton

Royal Doulton actually began as an earthenware manufacturer, but in 1884 they added porcelain figurines and other serving dishes. Many pieces were signed with an artists or modelers initials. In 1908 they created an array of earthenware and porcelain. Dickens Ware, in which pieces were decorated with Charles Dickens characters was produced until 1940. However, the Dickens Ware plates were still made until 1974. Character jugs depicting Dickens characters were popular in the early 1930's.

Royal Bayreuth

Bayreuth was founded in Tettau, Bavaria. Figural patterns were used on the first pieces in 1885. They then advanced to a wide array of designs depicting animals and people. Fruit and vegetable designs were also placed on dinnerware and serving pieces. Tapestry Ware was created in the latter part of the nineteenth century by applying a piece of cloth to the porcelain before it was glazed and fired. The texture of the cloth can be felt over the surface of the pieces. Many pieces of Royal Bayreuth were unmarked, making it difficult to identify earlier pieces.

Belleek

This porcelain was first produced in 1857 in Ireland. Grasses, Limpet and Tridacna patterns were used, but the Irish Shamrock was the most common. The identifying marks on Irish Belleek vary according to the year it was produced. Pieces made consisted of a wide variety of kitchen and dinnerware pieces. Bowls, cake plates, condiment sets, tea sets, figurines, flower pots and vases were the most popular. Several American firms attempted to copy this porcelain and did create a Belleek type of porcelain.

Portrait Ware

This type of porcelain became popular in the late nineteenth century.Plates and vases were the main items created. Napoleon and Louis XVI were the main subjects, but occassionally a portrait of a beautiful unidentified woman was used. Each portrait was signed by the artist. Some of the identifying names or producers are Coronet, Mehlem. Mt. Washington, Sevres, and Wagner.

Bavarian China

Bavarian china refers to porcelain that was made in Bavaria, Germany. There were several manufacturers in Bavaria that created these products. The main ones were Hutscheareuther, Schuman, Thomas and Z.S. and Company. These pieces were not brought into the United States until the late 1800's. Several types of jars, such as biscuit and jam jars,and cake sets, chocolate sets, tea sets, salt and peppers and vases were made by these producers. Beautifully hand decorated plates were signed by the artist.

Giesha Girl Porcelain

This was a Japanese made product of the late nineteenth century. It was popular up until WWII, and is being reproduced today. Geisha Girl Ware is mainly hand painted. Over 125 brightly colored Japanese life style scenes have been found. There are over 140 identification marks and nearly 200 patterns and varieties of these patterns. Japanese ladies and children in Japanese gardens and temples are the main scenes found in these pieces.

Royal Bonn

This porcelain was first produced in 1836 , started by Franz Anton Mehlem. In 1890 the pieces were marked "Royal", but after 1890 the word "Bonn" was added. Several pieces of dinnerware were created with a transfer print pattern as well as portrait ware. They produced a variety of serving pieces and dinnerware.

Royal Copenhagen

It was begun in 1867 and is still being produced today. The crown mark of three wavy lines was used on porcelain pieces but not on their stoneware line. Botanical illustrations and the edges and perforations in their patterns were done by hand. Their pieces included a wide variety of serving platters and dinnerware pieces. Many pieces included the artists signature mark. They also produced their first Christmas Plate in 1908.

Derby Porcelain

This porcelain was also known as "Royal Crown Derby", due to the companies appointment in 1890 as the "Manufacturers of Porcelain to Her Majesty", Queen Victoria. Most of the tableware and figurines from this manufacturer were hand painted.

Royal Dux

Beginning in1860 this porcelain was manufactured in Czechoslovakia. Their Art Nouveau designs became popular in the United States and were exported in the early nineteenth century. They created mainly house hold accessory items, figurines and vases.

Royal Worcester

The Royal Worcester Porcelain Company became active in the late nineteenth century after many changes of ownership, etc. Their wares contained pieces modeled by James Hadley and his sons , among others. Elaborately decorated dinnerware and other serving pieces included figurines, fruit bowls, lamps, and soup tureens.

Schlegelmich Porcelain

This manufacturer was established in Germany in 1861. Production ceased in 1920 due to WWI. However, the Tillowitz plant came under Polish control in 1956, and produced many pieces. Their serving ware pieces have several different identifying marks. You may see, R. S. Germany, with the R. S. standing for Rudolf Schlegemich, or R.S. Poland, R. S. Prussia, R.S. Suhl, or R. S. Tillowitz, indicating where it was created.