Berlin Porcelain Plaque, ca. 1900
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GUEST:
I found it at a yard sale.
APPRAISER:
And how much did you pay for it?
GUEST:
I paid five dollars.
APPRAISER:
And you've enjoyed it? Has it been hanging on the wall?
GUEST:
No, actually, I kind of put it away because the frame was kind of loose from the, uh, picture.
APPRAISER:
It's a painting taken from an Italian original. The Italian original would have been done in the 18th century on canvas, and this is actually done on porcelain, and it was done in Germany just about the turn of the century, about 1900, and these boys are eating fruit, and it's actually very popular. We do find this particular subject in a number of different sizes done by a number of different artists in the Berlin area, predominantly from the KPM Manufacturing Company. It's really, really quite well done as we look at the workmanship. I want to turn it over and show you the back, if I may. There are some identifying marks which certainly do help date it as well as tell us exactly what region it was produced in. In the center here, we have an impressed eagle mark, and that is actually a symbol that was used by a number of different manufacturers, but they were all done within and around the general area of Berlin. So we certainly do know that this is a Berlin porcelain plaque.
GUEST:
Is that right?
APPRAISER:
There's also an additional paper label here, which-- let's turn it right side up-- was a retailer label, which is also always nice to have. Very often, they've disintegrated. It just gives a little bit more integrity to it that this label was on there from the very start.
GUEST:
My goodness.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's very, very competitive at auction. People love plaques like this in very appealing subjects. At auction today, I would expect would sell between $2,500 and $3,500.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness. That's great.
APPRAISER:
That's very good for a five-dollar investment.
GUEST:
Yes, yes, it is.
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