(pronunciation: as spelled.)
Location: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
The most exciting products of this porcelain manufacturer are the six modern forms used in their current production. Highly modern tea and coffee sets, the pieces are, of course, usable, but really are of display quality by virtue of the designs. Each set can be acquired at one time or by the piece. Go to the company site listed below to see these wonderful ceramics. The names of these china sets are: Aqua, Noliki, Flamingo, Suslik, Gliss, and Babochka.
The company also makes hotel dinnerware, if you are interested in this specialty in collecting porcelain.
Of the older production, it is generally the usual run of dinnerware. The most likely collectible from these patterns are cups and saucers, as some of the cup handles are quite different from any I’ve seen. The different lines of china of Pirken Hammer are identifiable by the cup handles. A series of cup and saucers showing these would make an interesting collection. The painted decoration can be of your choice from the usual floral swags, floral bands, etc. The patterns also include natural subjects, such as pine cones, fish, grapes, or fruit and berries.
Pirken-Hammer also has also produced monumental vases in several styles in the past, if you are interested.
The products of this firm have been marked from the beginning and the marks can be used to date individual pieces. It does not always include the words “Pirken Hammer,” so you will need to learn the various versions if you decide to specialize in this company’s past porcelain production.
My opinion: The modern pieces are wonderful. If you need a coffee set to display in a china cabinet, and you like modern, you should check these out. It may take some work to find a US source.
* * * Use plate racks to display some of your plate collection. * * *
Product lines:
Beginning in 2006, modern design coffee/tea services designed by Russian Alexey Narovlyansky, named:
Aqua
Suslik
Noliki
Flamingo
Babochka
Gliss
Prices:
full set $400-$1000
cup and saucer: $60-120
plate: $40
coffee/tea pot: $150-180
creamer: $60-70
sugar bowl: $80-120
Collector’s Society: none.
The official company site is: http://www.pirken-hammer.com/index.html
History
The company was established in 1803 in Karlovy Vary, (aka Carlsbad) by Freidrich Hoche, who was from Wiemar, Germany. He began with two small kilns and made tableware and tobacco pipes. The company was sold in 1811, and the new owners expanded the production to include coffee and dining sets using primarily Saxon designs. The company was granted a national porcelain license in 1822, signifying its being one of the best porcelain manufacturers in Bohemia. It was known for it translucent porcelain body. Prizes at national and international fairs recognized the company’s porcelain for its shape, glaze, porcelain body and the quality of the printing of the designs. The name changed to Fischer and Mieg in 1852. The new company used local workers instead of importing them from Thuringia, and the designs became less Saxon and more in line with local tastes.
Go to the Table of Contents to see all the topics covered so far.
Read more about porcelain collectibles.