HUTSCHENREUTER

Q: I'd like to know some history about the manufacturer of this cookie jar. It's 10 inches tall. I think my grandmother bought it in Germany before World War I. This mark is on the bottom.

A: Lorenz Hutschenreuther started a porcelain factory in Selb, Germany, in 1857. Hutschenreuther bought other porcelain factories, including the Paul Muller Porcelain Factory in 1917. A loose translation of the cartouches: "Entwurf" is "design," Professor Fritz Klee was director of the porcelain technical school, and "Abteilung fur Kunst" means "department of art." Klee designed the lion trademark used by Hutschenreuther in 1919.

The jar you have is called a maskaron jar. The maskaron is a grimacing face at the bottom of the jar. A similar jar with slightly more ornate gilt trim was made by Paul Muller. L. Hutschenreuther combined with C.M. Hutschenreuther in 1969 and the factories became Hutschenreuther AG. In 2000 the company was bought by Rosenthal, which is now part of Waterford Wedgwood. Waterford Wedgwood filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009, and most of its assets were recently purchased by KPM Capital Partners of New York.