Royal Vienna RS Prussia Portrait Plate

Porcelain : Antique : Royal Vienna

 

This example, at a glance, immediately jumps out at the observer, seeming to be a very handsome plate displaying three characteristics that tend to be highly sought by collectors. It has a distinctive, elaborate body design, bold cobalt and gold coloring, and a central reserve bearing what appears to be a hand painted portrait of delightful children and their pet. A fourth characteristic added to the back of the plate would seem to complete the desirability loop for the avid collector and encourage their desire to purchase this ‘special’ piece for a large sum. On the back is a back-stamp that may suggest to some that Erdmann Schlegelmilch, maker of RS Prussia porcelain, produced the plate.

Royal Vienna marked pieces have been included in collector guides for that type of decorative porcelain because the mark is found on the same mold designs known to have been produced in RS Prussia factories.

Even to those unfamiliar with any specific collector’s guide book, however, with the visual characteristics of the front of the plate all seeming ‘right,’ the ‘Royal Vienna’ mark may still be as alluring to them as is the fancy front of the plate. The name may sound familiar. Or the mark may simply assist them in making an immediate and automatic assumption that a quality maker from the dim and distant past must have made the plate. But, this plate (and others like it) is specious and not at all old. In fact, for a very nominal price multiples of this plate, as many as you might want to buy, were available for purchase today, at the time of this writing, from a well-known antiques reproduction wholesale supplier. This plate is a brand-new fake representing yet another wave of porcelain pieces that bear cunning pseudo marks. Perhaps this new mark was created precisely to snare those who over the years have learned to be wary of RS Prussia marked items and ask questions. Buyers of elaborate RS Prussia molds and hand painted portrait or scenic plates may as yet still be unaware to suspect this mark.

This is not Royal Vienna mark. One should never use a mark alone to judge authenticity of an item. And when considered, the mark itself should at least be scrutinized closely as these are fairly easily faked.

In the case of the mark on this item, the authentic mark used on Royal Vienna porcelain objects always has points on the ends of the orbs. There are five orbs on the authentic crown, each should have a point on the end. The authentic mark is pictured in Capers Notes on the Marks of RS Prussia, page 190, RS 5.3(G) 2., and in Gaston's 4th series page 169, showing the points on the ends of the orbs.

This plate mold, as well, is not a known Royal Vienna mold and was never produced by RS Prussia. The transfer used on this item (it is not hand painted, though often found represented to be) was never used by the RS Prussia factory. Other central transfer are known, though the plate will otherwise look the same.

It is fancy.....and false. So beware.

This plate (sometimes described as a Charger) is fairly substantial in size at 12 inches in diameter.

Item ID: 2007RP00035