Getting Familiar with Herend Porcelain

It has been said: “All the best homes in Europe and America have Meissen china, but all the best homes in Meissen have Herend china.”
The saying was probably coined by a Hungarian, because Herend is the Hungarian city where, in 1826, Vince Stingl founded the ceramic company that bears that city’s name. Stingl made earthenware there for a dozen years, and had been experimenting with producing porcelain when he ran out of money.
The factory was taken over by Mor Fischer, an investor, in 1839, and that year began producing fine porcelain. The company specialized in replacing old European and Asian porcelain patterns that would be difficult to replace otherwise. As a result, Herend’s artist became proficient at undetectably re-creating some of the finest porcelains ever made.
It wasn’t long before the Herend factory became the royal factory of Hungary, purveyors to the Hapsburg Dynasty, and to the other aristocratic families, including Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Franz Josef of Austria, and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.
Herend would go on to win medals in all the important European fairs and exhibitions, and gained renown not only for its dinnerware, but for it’s figurines and artist sculpted porcelains.
The company suffered a decline in production during the two world wars in the middle of the 20th Century, and was nationalized by the communists in 1948. Herend is still in business now as a privatized company, owned in large part by it’s workers.
Familiarize yourself with Herend porcelain; keep a lookout for it in the shops. It’s a treat to find pieces so artfully crafted and hand-painted, and it’s even more of a joy to own some.
Appraisals: Dinner Service, Rothschild Bird, 50pc. service for 10, $3,945; 144pc. extended service for 12, $10,500; Dinner plate, Queen Victoria pattern, $145; Sitting Bunny figurine, blue/gold “fishnet” pattern $225+; Foo Dogs, 10″h black & white, $1,800-$2,200 plus pair.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.