Spotlight on: German Porcelain 1900s - 1960s

One of my favorite items to find at estate sales, auctions, and thrift stores is German/Bavarian porcelain from the 1900s - 1960s.

There were a large number of porcelain factories in Germany, and German porcelain was known to be of high quality and design. Many factories produced blank plates, vases, cups, etc. which were shipped to studios to be painted by various artists. Because of this, it is uncommon to find duplicates of designs - even if they were painted by the same artist, there are often subtle differences.

Common themes on German/Bavarian porcelain are florals & fruits, often with gilding on rims, handles, etc. During the 1920s - 1930s, the artists branched out into Art Deco designs. Porcelain items during this period will often have a delicate floral design inside a larger art deco design (often in gold), although it is not uncommon to find items which have the deco style without the floral designs.

The plates below is a great example of the variety of art that can be found in 1900 - 1930s German/Bavarian design. The plate on the left is a classic floral design marked KPM Germany and would date from 1905 - 1920. The piece on the right is marked KPM Bavaria and is signed by the artist with a date of 1916. Both plates are in great condition, with minimal wear and no cracks or chips.

The plate below is a great example of a later piece of German/Bavarian porcelain. It is marked Alka Kunst Bavaria and dates to 1955 - 1960. The deco style was still being used during this period by many of the German artists. This plate is also in very good condition with no chips or cracks and minimal wear to the design.