Bavaria Espresso

Q: I received this espresso set about 10 years ago as a wedding present from a German lady. She got them 30 to 40 years ago as a present for coming into her church. They are marked “Bavaria” above a flower and “Schirnding Qualitats-Porzellan” below it. What can you tell me about them?

A: Your espresso set was made by Schirnding Porzellan. The company started as a decorating studio in Schirnding, Bavaria, Germany, in 1901. The factory began making whiteware about 1904. There were changes in ownership, mergers and name changes over the years. The main office moved to Arzberg, Germany, in 2000, and the name changed to Arzberg-Porzellan G.m.b.H. in 2004. The company became part of Rosenthal in 2015. This mark was used between 1949 and 1956. It is sometimes used with “West Germany” underneath it. Since your set doesn’t include that country identification, it was not made for export to the United States but for sale in Germany.