About Antique Porcelain Valuations

Antique porcelain encompasses a wide range of styles and manufacturers. It takes an expert to determine the real value of a piece, but the collector can learn the basics and know enough to help her make a decision before she decides what and how much to collect.

History

The first known appearance of porcelain is in China sometime during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.). The art spread to other parts of Asia, namely Korea and Japan, in the 10th century. The first European porcelain was produced in Florence, Italy in the last part of the 16th century and spread to England, Germany and France.

Types

There are many manufacturers of fine porcelain, but some of the most famous and valued product lines are Kakiemon from Japan,
Spode and Worcester from England, Meissen and Dresden from Germany and Limoges and Sevres from France. Most are the names of the manufacturers; however, some, like Dresden and Limoges, refer to areas and are styles made by different companies.

Identification

The main thing to look at when identifying a piece of antique porcelain is the potter's mark. Each piece will have a mark on the bottom displaying the company name and a code. The mark is changed periodically. For instance, the famous Hummel figurines have been made since 1935 and the marks have been changed eight times: in 1935, 1950, 1957,1964, 1972, 1979, 1991 and 2000. Many times, imitation pieces will not have the correct mark.

Features

An appraiser will take two elements of a porcelain piece into consideration: rarity and condition.

Rarity is determined in two ways. The mark will tell you how many pieces were made and where you piece stands in the line. For instance, if a mark reads "125/9," it means that only 125 pieces were made, and that yours was the ninth. The lower your number, the better. The second way to determine rarity is to evaluate how many are left and how many are on the market.

The condition depends on the age of the piece. Older pieces can show more wear without affecting the value as it would on a newer piece. Also, not all pieces come out of the mold in perfect condition. They can have defects like too many air bubbles; or, if the piece was one of the last ones made, the details might not be as defined as in the earlier ones. The potter's mark usually has a break in it to identify the piece as imperfect.

Considerations

Everyone has porcelain in her home in one form or another. It is an everyday item: tea sets, dinnerware or a statue passed down through the generations can all be made of porcelain. But not everyone considers becoming a collector, or even having the pieces she owns appraised. It is something to take under consideration: That piece you take for granted could be worth a hefty sum.

Resources

• Antique Marks Information
• History of Pottery