Dear Helaine and Joe: I would like your comments on the item in the enclosed photo. It is a KPM painting on porcelain and has been in my family for more than 150 years. It measures 21 by 14 1/2 inches. — C.U., North Wales, Pa.
Dear C.U.: For those who are wondering what the initials "KPM" stand for, in German it is "Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur"; and in English, "King's Porcelain Manufactory." But no matter how the full name is said, these initials really stand for high-quality porcelain — and, in the minds of many avid collectors, for high-quality paintings on porcelain plaques.
The king mentioned in the company name is Frederick the Great (Frederick III, King of Prussia), who is said to have run this factory personally and according to his own tastes. KPM was not the first factory established in Berlin under the sponsorship of King Frederick. This dubious honor went to Wilhelm Wegeley, who opened his factory in 1751.
Wegeley made a fine product, but it did not please the king, who wanted desperately to compete with the famous Meissen factory, which had discovered how to make Chinese-style hard-paste porcelain in 1709. Wegeley's subsequent loss of royal favor led to this factory closing in 1757.
The next attempt was made by Johann Gotzkowsky, who opened a factory in 1761 but quickly ran into financial trouble. Tired of not getting what he wanted, Frederick purchased the factory in 1763 and decided just to do it himself. He, of course, ultimately succeeded and the factory remained in the hands of the royal family until they ceased to rule Germany in 1918. It is now the property of the city of Berlin and exists to this day.
Over the years, KPM (or "Berlin," as it is often called) made a very wide variety of products, but many of the objects most desired by collectors are their high-quality paintings on porcelain. These are mainly products of the mid- to late 19th century and they featured a wide variety of subjects that ranged from portraits of women to scenes of monks going about their everyday business and of boys eating melons, and reproductions of popular paintings.
Currently, collectors are very interested in the depictions of beautiful nudes, macabre scenes featuring skulls and such, and other scenes. Religious scenes such as this one, which depicts John Huss at the Council of Constance in 1414 (he was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1415), are of interest to fewer collectors and have only a specialized following.
Right now we are told that Jewish religious scenes are more popular than Christian ones, but the large size and exquisite artistry found on this plaque is in its favor as is the early date (circa 1840). Its insurance replacement value is between $12,000 and $14,000.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of Treasures in Your Attic (HarperCollins, $18). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.