Carlsbad Vase

Q: What’s the value of this old vase? It has a Colonial couple playing chess on the front. The back is flat and there are two holes near the top. There is a beehive mark and a gold sticker with “J.K.W., Decor, Carlsbad” on the back. 

A: You have a decorative wall pocket. The two holes in the back of your vase are so it can be hung on the wall. The initials are for Josef Kuba Werkstatte (Josef Kuba Workshop), a porcelain factory founded by Kuba in Carlsbad (also spelled Karlsbad), Bohemia, in 1930. The company moved to Wiesau, Bavaria, Germany, in 1945. Kuba’s son took over the business in 1972. The company closed in 1989. This gold sticker mark was used from about 1930 to 1945. The beehive mark was not used by Kuba after 1952. The factory made many porcelain items with romantic scenes.