Q: “Can you provide any information on this lobster dish, such as its purpose and value? I inherited it from my mother and grandmother and truly love it. The condition is excellent, with one slightly rubbed-off gold spot in the middle of the tail handle in the center of the dish. The dish measures 11 inches tall by 15 inches wide.”
A: We are fortunate to have an array of experts at our fingertips. One of our favorites is author and certified appraiser Dr. Anthony Cavo, who generously stepped up to answer your question:
“The lobster dish is one of the nicest examples I’ve seen. Lobster-shaped dishes were very popular during the late Victorian era and into the early 20th century. They were used for serving cold seafood dishes such as seafood salad and shrimp cocktails with the shrimp on one side and the cocktail sauce on the other.
Kovels Antique Trader photograph
“These dishes sell anywhere from $40 to $150, depending on the quality and origin. Most of the high-quality lobster dishes were made in Germany. This dish was made by Carl Tielsch and is, in fact, marked “Germany.” Interestingly, the factory, which opened in 1845, operated in the locality of Altwasser, the German name for present-day Stary Zdrój, a district of Wałbrzych in Poland. As a result of the Silesian War, the city officially became part of Germany in 1871 and remained part of Germany until after WWII, when it was restored to Poland. Every antique has a story to tell about history.
“Today, Carl Tielsch & Co. is still producing fine porcelain under the name “Fabryka Porcelany Wałbrzych S.A.” Your lobster plate is most likely hand-painted, which cannot be determined through a regular photograph. The decoration, especially the gilding, is a prime example of the fine porcelain produced by Carl Tielsch & Co. This dish could sell in the range of $150 to $175.”
Copyright ©2022 by Anthony Cavo. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Dr. Cavo is not only an expert in the field, he is the of Love Immortal: Antique Photographs and Stories of Dogs and Their People, a wonderful book all dog lovers would enjoy.
If you have a question about a collectible, send it along with photos via e-mail to ATNews@aimmedia.com. Please include as much information about your item as possible: size, condition, where it came from, or anything else helpful.
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