Bohemian Decorated Porcelain (A Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Hardcover]

James D. Henderson (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Schiffer Book for Collectors | Publication Date: February 1999

Those who are captivated by the great beauty of decorated porcelain will recognize, at once, the quality of the Bohemian Porcelain. Factories in the Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) region of Western Bavaria produced numerous types of tableware and objects. This new book is the first in English dedicated to describing and illustrating the vast array of decorative objects, household wares, and tableware. It includes both the goods produced and decorated in Bohemia and those exported to America for decoration in the form of whiteware during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Detailed descriptions of the production, exportation, and decoration methods utilized by the Karlovy Vary factories to produce this collectible porcelain make this book an invaluable reference for those who collect, deal, or have inherited pieces of this china. Over 400 color photographs, as well as illustrated examples of the distinguishing factory marks, information on the factories' owners, and an up-to-date value guide make this book unique. With the wide exportation of Bohemian porcelain to the United States and throughout the West, this book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of dealers, collectors, and everyone interested in the development of the art of fine porcelain.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. James Henderson has been fascinated with the history of Bohemian porcelain for nearly twenty years. After his wife, Marge, received a Bohemian dinnerware set from an elderly aunt, he and his wife became serious collectors of porcelain exported from the Karlovy Vary region. Their collection of O&EG Royal Austrian porcelain is one of the largest of its kind. Dr. Henderson is a veterinarian whose years of training in medical research have provided him with the investigative skills to thoroughly examine archived documents and share their contents with today's readers in an interesting way. Readers interested in contacting the author may do so through the publisher or via email at [e-mail]

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764307460
• ISBN-13: 978-0764307461
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,710,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bohemian Decorated Porcelain A hit with China Collectors, October 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bohemian Decorated Porcelain (A Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

My book describes the development of porcelain production in the Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) region of western Bohemia. Through the declining years of the Habsburg's Austro-Hungarian Empire to the rise of communism in Czechoslovakia, a history of each factory exporting ware to the United States is presented which recounts details of factory owners never described in English literature. A description of each small town or village in the Karlovy Vary region that manufactured porcelain is provided. Details of the methods of exporting porcelain to the United States and the history of import businesses and their owners gives the reader an insight into how today's antique porcelain found its way from factory to home. Numerous advertisements of import companies illustrate the array of Bohemian porcelain sold in America during the late 1800s and early 1900s. As the demand for whiteware increased to satisfy the growing interest in amateur china painting in America in the 1880s, the Karlovy Vary area factories expanded and their export business grew. I describe the factory methods used to decorate "Carlsbad china", the name given to porcelain exported from this region in the late 1800s. American decoration of imported whiteware is also presented making the book an invaluable reference for those who purchase, sell, or who have inherited pieces of this china. In addition, the book should be of value to those interested in family histories of factory owners and decorators. Over 600 color photographs and illustrations demonstrate the rich variety of porcelain pieces exported to as well as decorated in, the United States during this time. An extensive presentation of American export dinnerware patterns from the oldest producing factory is featured in one of the book's appendices. Many factory marks are illustrated in color and are presented in a chronology following the description of each factory. A price guide is provided to give a relative value of one piece to another. If you have questions about Bohemian/Austrian porcelain please contact me and time permitting, I'll try to help you.