EPIAG Mark

Q: I have a set of dishes which were given to me by my mother in 1948 as a wedding gift. Who made this set and how old is it?

A: This arm and stiletto mark was used by Springer & Co. of Elbogen, Bohemia (now Loket, Czech Republic), one of the potteries that was part of EPIAG. The pottery was founded in 1815 by Rudolf Eugen Haidinger and Eugen Haidinger and operated under various names and owners. It became Springer & Co. in 1885 and joined OEPIAG, an association of potteries, in 1918. In 1920 the name of the association was changed to EPIAG (First Bohemian Porcelain Industry). This mark was used from 1941 to 1945. The pottery was nationalized in 1945 and became part of Starorolsky Porcelain.