Bowls
Zeh-Sherzer Petite Bowls
Four dainty and petite Zeh-Sherzer and Co., 5" diameter, 1.5" deep vegetable or dessert bowls with excellent floral work and golden outer rims. The company, founded in 1880 at Rehau, Bavaria, began producing quality commercial and decorative porcelain products. Their art department was instrumental in producing high quality, in demand, art deco items. These bowls date from the U.S. occupation 1946 to 1949 continuing the traditional high quality, decorative standards that made the company one of the leading Bavarian porcelain enterprises. The company ceased porcelain manufacturing in 1992 thereby increasing the potential value of prior production items such as these. Zeh-Sherzer and Co. continued a fine tradition of collectible attributes via their outstanding workmanship.
Royal Bayreuth Bowl
A 7" diameter, 1.5 " deep table bowl produced by the Royal Bayreuth Porzellanmanufaktur Tettau A.G. during the U.S. occupation of 1946 to 1949. There are no defects noted. This factory traces it's historical lineage back to 1794 when King Friedrich Wilhelm II granted permission to Johann Schmidt and the Greiner brothers to establish their porcelain facility in Tettau, Bavaria. The original permit was only granted for 15 years but the king was so pleased with the success of the operation that he granted unlimited permission, hence the "Royal". This first Bavarian porcelain factory produced primarily household items and dinner related sets as well as tea and coffee serving items.
Porcelain pieces from the occupied era will continue to generate interest and increase in value as their production was limited to only four years. Another exciting addition for your collection and has good investment potential; remember that the Seltmann group acquired this factory in 1958 and the collectible "pool" will never become larger.
Enhancing it's rarity, this item was imported by the J.L. Hudson, Company, Detroit, Mich., Ohio, and Indiana. Located downtown on Woodward Avenue, in 1961 it was the tallest department store in the world and second only to Macy's in square footage. The store closed in Jan of 1983 and was demolished in Oct of 1998.
C. S. Prussia Bowl
A fine circa 100 year old Carl Schlegelmilch dinner serving bowl. Entirely glazed and strikingly decorated in gold trim this 10.5" diameter, 2.5" deep serving bowl was likely an export item to North America. No damage is noted and there is no perceptible wearing which is remarkable for it's age. There is an under glaze manufacturing gold "spot" visible on the picture above at about 2 o'clock inside the bowl and a variance in the center decoration being slightly off center.
Carl learned the porcelain trade from his father Leonard at the Erdmann Schlegelmilch factory. Carl started his own factory in 1882 at Mäbendorf, Thuringia, Germany. Mäbendorf became a part of Suhl and is today called Suhl-Mäbendorf. He sold the operation and retired in 1918 after producing a limited quantity of high quality, visually appealing pieces. As CS Prussia porcelains were not produced in large numbers this item will undoubtedly increase in value with the passage of time. The Schlegelmilch family is noted for it's fine porcelain production and Carl is gaining in justly deserved recognition.