Porcelain mark is a symbol of Czech town
Q. This is a photo of a covered vegetable dish that is part of a dinnerware set my late husband inherited. The set is a five-piece service for 12 and includes a gravy boat, butter dish and large platters. It was purchased in 1930 and is in mint condition. Each piece is marked with a crown, crossed hammers and the words "Pirkenhammer - Czechoslovakia."
Could you please let me know the history of my dinnerware and its insurance value?
A. Fischer & Mieg Pottery made your dinnerware set in Pirkenhammer, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. In 1811, Martin Fischer and Christopher Reichenbach acquired Johann List and Fredrich Hocke's pottery company. When Fischer's granddaughter later married Ludwig von Mieg in 1852, the name of the pottery was changed to Fischer & Meig. Wilhelm and Victor Maier bought the factory in 1908 and continued to use the name until 1946. The crossed hammers and crown are the symbols of the town, Pirkenhammer. Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 and dissolved in 1993, becoming the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Insure your circa-1930 dinnerware for $800 to $1,500.
Q. Enclosed is the mark on the bottom of a porcelain female figurine that was given to me by a friend years ago. The figurine stands about 8 inches tall. She is wearing 18th-century pastel clothes, has blond hair and is holding a basket of flowers.
What can you tell me about the maker, vintage and value of my figurine?
A. Kranichfelder Porzellan Manufaktur made your figurine. The factory was located in Kranichfeld, Germany, from 1903 to 1910. The K.P.M. mark can be problematic. It was used by the Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur, or the Royal Porcelain Factory, and later borrowed by a batch of factories, including Krister Porzellan Manufaktur and Kranichfelder Porzellan Manufaktur.
Your figurine might be worth $75 to $125.
Q. I have all eight porcelain plates of the "Gone With the Wind" series. They were made by Edwin M. Knowles China Co. I have all the original certificates of authenticity and the boxes. Each plate represents a scene from the film "Gone With the Wind."
I hope you can give me some idea of the value of my set.
A. Edwin M. Knowles China Co. was founded in Chester, West Virginia, around 1900. A second plant was added in Newell, West Virginia. The limited-edition collector plates were issued from 1978 to 1985. Artist Raymond Kursar painted the original scenes.
Your set would probably be worth $125 to $225.
• 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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