Dish with David Lackey at EDISH

Q: I have a set of dishes that have two different countries of origin stamped on the back, but all of it is the same pattern. Stamped on the back of one is M Z and the country name Austria. Another plate has the same M Z, but with the country name of Czechoslovakia. What can you tell me about these marks?

A: I can't be sure without more information, but it sounds like an instance where a pattern was applied at a decorating factory. In your case, the initials M Z stand for the company Altrohlau. Most likely, Altrohlau only decorated your pieces of china. Decorating factories do not produce their own porcelain; they must order undecorated white ware from porcelain manufacturers. When decorating companies are using the white wares from other firms, they might mix pieces made by more than one supplier (and possibly from different countries).

Another explanation could be that there was more than one Altrohlau factory location.

Q: I have some questions concerning the markings on my Haviland china. The back of my china says Theodore Haviland, Limoges and Leob Hermanos, Mexico. I also have some Haviland pieces that are marked Schulze, Cincinnati. Could you please let me know if you have any info on these markings? What do they mean and how old are the pieces?

A: We frequently see this type of marking on the backs of old patterns by Haviland (and some other brands too). The Leob Hermanos (Leob Bros.), Mexico and Schulze, Cincinnati marks indicate the retailer who originally sold the china and the retail store's location. Evidently, merchants could order certain quantities of china from Haviland and the factory would offer to mark the wares with the retailer's name and location in addition to the usual factory marks. Today, we still occasionally see this type of marking on pieces of china from high end retailers. For example, "Made expressly for Tiffany & Co." etc... Seventy five years ago, the practice was much more common. The additional marks do not necessarily add to the value of china sets, but they certainly do add to the interest and historical information about the origins of old sets of china.

Haviland's largest amount of production seems to have been in the late nineteenth century up through the early part of the twentieth century (1890s -1930s). If you would like to try to identify your pattern and perhaps narrow down the date that it was produced, check the edish Haviland identification page.

Q: I want to collect the old Franciscan Desert Rose, but find that it is made in USA, England and Portugal. I don't know which to buy. What does Franciscan Interface mean? What should I look for on the back of dishes? A: Franciscan Desert Rose is probably the most collectible pottery pattern ever manufactured in the history of the U.S. It was introduced about 1940, and it has been produced continuously since then. It was originally designed and produced by Gladding McBean (Franciscan) pottery of California. You can learn more about this American manufacturer by viewing the link below. Because the pattern was so popular for so long, Wedgwood purchased the rights to continue producing the pattern when Franciscan shut its doors around 1980. Wedgwood owns the rights and has produced the china in England for years. Now it may be produced in Portugal, or any other country where Wedgwood has a factory. There are different views about collecting Desert Rose pottery. Because the pattern was produced in California for 40 years, many people collect only the old American-made pieces and will not accept any new English pieces. Most people who collect the English-made pieces want only newer English pieces. Then there are the collectors who love their pottery and use it all the time, but they absolutely do not care where it was made or how old it is. The fact is, older American-made pieces sell for a premium price. It is cheaper to go to a department store that carries Wedgwood products and buy the newer pieces. The American made pieces are a diminishing resource, and these older pieces command prices that reflect the "antiques and collectibles" market. However, the good old American-made pieces are not unattainable. For example, a dinner plate usually sells on the second hand market for about $20.00. Collectors of the old American pieces believe that the quality of the old is far superior to that of the new. The older pieces are painted entirely by hand, while the newest pieces are decorated with a decal. This makes the older pieces much more charming. The subtle differences in colors and brush strokes create a warm feeling that is lacking in the cookie cutter decal decorated pieces. Each of the old pieces is a testament to "the good old days" when pottery making was a craft that actually employed artists. California was the birthplace of post WW2 American casual dining. Handmade Franciscan pottery was welcomed in nearly every American home including Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's New York apartment in the ever popular "I Love Lucy" show. Such widespread popularity has practically placed the pottery in our American cultural heritage. When making a decision about collecting this pattern, use your common sense judgement to determine what is best for you. The older pieces made in California are the original. The original, vintage pieces are a little more expensive, but the supply is still good. Newer pieces look almost like the old, original pieces, but the prices for the new pieces is lower and the supply is not limited. The pieces made in England are almost always marked "Made in England". Most American made pieces are marked "U.S.A." or "California". If a piece is unmarked, it is probably an older American made piece. Interpace, which is sometimes found on the bottom of pieces, is a parent corporation name that is associated with a number of china brands including Franciscan, Meakin, Shenango and Castleton. Related edish Links: Franciscan Desert Rose (USA) Franciscan Desert Rose (England) More about Gladding McBean (Franciscan)
Free counters provided by Honesty.com.	To the edish encyclopedia