Carrying the Torch

Q: I have a plate with this mark on the back and the name Angelica Kauffmann on the front. Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?

A: Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807) was a famous English artist who painted portraits, murals and furniture. Her paintings were copied by china painters who reproduced them on plates, vases and cups and saucers. She never painted china. Her name on the front of your plate means it was decorated in the style of Angelica Kauffmann. Her name is often misspelled with only one “f” or one “n.” The shield and crown mark with the initials MCP and a hand holding a torch was used by J.S. Maier & Co. Poschetzau Porcelain Factory from 1939 to 1945. The company was in business in Poschetzau, Bohemia (currently Bozicany, Czech Republic) from 1890 to c. 1945. The same mark with the word “Germany” instead of “Czechoslovakia” was used from 1919 to 1939.