Antique hotsell Early Reinhold Schlegelmilch Water Pitcher circa 1880’s

8” tall x 7” wide from spout to handle 4” diameter at the base

This is a beautiful extremely rare old piece. It's made by the Prussian porcelain maker Reinhold Schlegelmilch. The mark on this piece is beautiful and has an interesting story.

There are two parts to the mark, a squashed elipse and an arrow. The former is thought to be a mining symbol, the latter a weapons symbol. Both mining and weapon making were activities at the Lauter forge, which was later acquired by Reinhold Schlegelmilch and converted to a porcelain factory in 1869. Various sizes of this mark may be found in the colors black, blue, and red.

This is a large mark in red that denotes that it may in fact be a very early mark. The form is a classic pitcher in fine translucent porcelain with a scalloped edge and a handle that also dates hotsell the piece from the late-19th century. It is brightly painted in red and yellow with gilding in both the design and around the rim. It's hand painted and exhibits a leaf motif.

The piece is in relatively good shape but does show some wear in the gilding. It also has been repaired (see photo 4). The bottom was broken and was repaired. The repair is good, but is visible as shown in the photo. Schlegelmilch porcelain from this period is extremely rare, very collectible and valuable which is why this piece was repaired.

In mint condition, this would be a $500 piece, I've priced it taking the damage into account. This is a wonderful, rare, colorful display piece that will look beautiful on a shelf in your kitchen, in your curio cabinet or on your table filled with beautiful flowers. I love this one!