HEREND MARK

Herend Mark

Q: I inherited a set of dishes from Hungary from my parents. The pieces are painted with burnt orange flowers and gold trim. They are marked with "Herend, Hungary, Handpainted" in blue. and some numbers in orange. Can you tell me the name of the pattern and how old it is?

A: Herend Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1826 in Herend, Hungary. It is still in business and is the world's largest porcelain factory. Herend started out making earthenware, but by the 1840s was producing porcelain tableware. Early Herend porcelain patterns are similar to Meissen and Sevres designs. Herend makes replacement pieces for any of its patterns by special order. Although the design and shape of your dishes look old, this Herend mark indicates they were not made before 1965. The four-digit number and letters FH identify the piece and the pattern name. Your dishes are Herend's Indian Basket Rust. Indian Basket was made in several colors. The two-digit number is the painter's number. For more information on Herend, including a timeline of history and marks, go to http://www.herend.com/.

ZSOLNAY

Zsolnay

Q: I have a vase that was left in my grandmother's apartment garage in the 1940s. They hired immigrant farmers to help with their cattle farm. The vase has a mark with five steeples and the words "Zsolnay, Pecs." It is also marked with an impressed "1063" and the printed number "68." What can you tell me about its origin?

A: Vilmos Zsolnay founded a pottery in Pecs, Hungary, and was producing ceramics by 1853. The trademark with five churches was first used in 1878. The medieval name for the town translates as "Five Churches." The initials "T.J.M." that appear in the mark on your vase stand for Terez, Julia, and Miklos, the children of Vilmos Zsolnay. They took over the factory after his death, but their initials were used as early as 1878. The impressed numbers indicate the year the piece was introduced. Number 1063 tells us that vases like yours were first made between 1882 and 1885. The other number might be a design or shape number. Similar vases have auctioned for $65 to $90 in the last year.