Czech Canister Set

Q:         I have a 14-piece set of kitchen canisters that are the color of mother-of-pearl. They’re decorated with gold trim and red roses. There are six large canisters labeled Coffee, Rice, Oatmeal, Flour, Sugar and Tea; six smaller canisters for spices labeled Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Allspice and Pepper; and two cruets labeled Oil and Vinegar. The marks on the bottom are “Ditmar Urbach” above a star, the letter “Z,” an image of a wing and “Made in Czechoslovakia.” When were they made and how much are they worth?

A :        The mother-of-pearl glaze on your set was popular in the 1920s. Sets like yours sell for about $200 to $400. The pottery where your set was made was founded in 1882 as Brothers Urbach in Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia, Austria (now Trnovany, Czech Republic). In 1919 it merged with Ditmar and became Ditmar-Urbach. It was taken over by the Nazis in 1938 and became Ostmark-Ceramics AG.