Porcelain dinnerware is a fine inheritance
Q. My husband and I inherited a lovely set of china that has several accompanying serving pieces. Enclosed is a picture of one of the smaller plates. The set is a service for 12 and includes platters, serving bowls of various sizes, a gravy boat, a creamer and a sugar bowl. Each piece is marked with a crest that has two lions and the words “Royal Bayreuth — Bavaria.” If my math is accurate, the set was made around the turn of the last century.
Is this something we should insure or simply enjoy and pass down through the generations?
A. Royal Bayreuth was founded by Johann Schmidt and Waldheim Greiner in Tettau, Bavaria. They produced high-quality porcelain dinnerware and specialized in floral and porcelain animal figures, including their “Devil and Cards” figures. Their “Sunbonnet Babies” and “Rose Tapestry” line have been popular with collectors.
The mark you described was used around 1919. Enjoy your inherited set of porcelain and also insure it in the range of $1,500 to $2,000.
Q. This mark is on the bottom of my set of four Irish Belleek cups and saucers. Each cup sets on two shells, and both the cups and the saucers have pale green shading against the ivory porcelain. Each cup has a green handle, and the set is in perfect condition. It has been in my family for a very long time, but no one remembers exactly how long. There may have been matching pieces that have been lost or broken over the years.
Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
A. Robert Armstrong and David McBurney first made Irish Belleek in 1857 in County Fermanagh, Ireland. The pottery used native clay deposits to produce their porcelain. Belleek ware is handcrafted and very thin and translucent. The finished pieces have a creamy ivory color with an iridescent luster. Some of their most popular motifs include seashells, sea horses, dolphins and, of course, shamrocks. Belleek porcelain baskets are highly prized by collectors. The baskets were woven by hand with strips of clay.
Your Irish Belleek seashell cups and saucers were made sometime between 1891 and 1926. The pattern is “Neptune,” and the set would probably be worth $225 to $275.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
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