RS Tillowitz China Service

Q: My family has a complete china service for 12 plus a matching tea and coffee set, all decorated with flowers and birds of paradise. The trim, handles, and knobs are painted gold. This “RS Tillowitz” mark is on the bottom. There are a total of 132 pieces. The set has been in my family since 1930. Are the dishes collectible?

A: This mark was used on porcelain made by the Reinhold Schlegelmilch factory in Tillowitz, Silesia, Germany (now Toluwice, Poland). The company was founded in Suhl, Germany, in 1869 and opened a factory in Tillowitz in 1894. Other marks used by Schlegelmilch include RS Germany, RS Prussia, RS Silesia, and RS Suhl. Some collectors call all of them “RS Prussia.” The mark on your dishes was used from the 1920s into the 1940s. Sets of dishes are hard to sell.