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Prussia
Toothpick Holders
In a region of the German Empire known as
Prussia, there were many porcelain companies that manufactured some of the
finest porcelain ever made. The
most famous and the highest quality was produced by two separate families with
the same last name - Schlegelmilch.
The Erdmann Schlegelmilch family operated factories between
1861-1945. This includes Carl
Schlegelmilch’s and Oscar Schlegelmilch’s operations. Reinhold Schlegelmilch
factories operated between 1869-1945.
Beginning
in the late 1880s up until the 1940s, the style of the toothpick holder they
produced evolved with the demands of the times. Starting with simpler embossed molds,
they evolved into elaborate designs with pedestals, handles, and detailed
transfers (this era is the most sought after), and ended with the more sleek
lines of the Art Deco period. One
wonderful aspect of Schlegelmilch porcelain is the transfer designs that were
used. Though there were thousands,
certain ones are particularly sought after by collectors. Portraits and scenes are the most
popular and these, instead of the mold, can affect the price. During this era, there were many blanks
offered to the American porcelain painting craft. You will find
certain molds with hand painting.
This type of painting is easily identified, as it is often a sweet floral
motif. Though some are very well
done, many can be identified as the work of a novice painter. They are to be admired for the time,
patience, and love that went into creating them.
There are
numerous Prussia related marks or backstamps besides the well known RS Prussia
wreath and star. R.S. Germany, R.S.
Tillowitz, O.S. Germany and Prove. Saxe, to name a few. Trade names were also used - Royal
Tillowitz, Royal Silesia, Royal Vienna, etc., intended to make one think that
“Royalty” was linked to the porcelain.
According to Capers’ Notes on the Marks of Prussia, the use of the
term “Royal” was strictly a sales or promotional gimmick, which could have
actually insulted the monarchy, but promoted “snob” appeal to a certain degree
for Americans. Some ambiguous
markings are the embossed stars, letters, bars, etc. Though unique to the porcelain, it is
not known whether they were used to reinforce the bottom of the mold or for
decoration. Though we identify them
as such, they are not considered a true mark.
The term
Prussia has become synonymous with Reinhold Schlegelmilch’s family, which
exported their outstanding porcelain to the world. Most R. S. Prussia is ornately fashioned
and richly decorated. Toothpicks
may not be so much as larger pieces, but there are some excellent examples to be
found. Some of the most popular
molds have handles. There are names
for some molds, such as Carnation, Iris, and Plumes. The molds were numbered and many
reference books refer to mold names and numbers. The porcelain was decorated with a
combination of transfer designs and hand painting. One of the most important
characteristics of RSP is the finish.
Finish is defined as a particular surface quality of the porcelain. Some of these finishes are:
Glossy: a shiny finish with a slick look;
Iridescent: glazes - which have different colors that
appear to change with varying amount of light;
Luster:
a metallic glaze, which has a shiny, iridescent
effect;
Matte: a dull finish, not lustrous or
shiny;
Pearl: a white shiny finish, not
iridescent;
Pearlized: an iridescent, luster type
finish;
Satin: a semi-matte glaze, usually white,
resembles satin in look and texture.
For more information on Prussia toothpick
holders, please see China
Toothpick Holders
by Judy Knauer and Sandy
Raymond. The reference shows over 125 different Prussia molds and
identifying marks. http://home.sc.rr.com/heartsdesire/book.htm
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