[GOZIEMBA COAT OF ARMS] - Pirkenhammer Manufactory - 19th century - Porcelain Plate with the Dąmbski Coat of Arms, HERALDRY, ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS, CZECH CRAFTS

[HERALDIC PORCELAIN – PIRKENHAMMER – FISCHER & REICHENBACH – GODZIEMBA COAT OF ARMS – DĄMBSCY] Shell-shaped porcelain plate bearing the Godziemba coat of arms, Czech Republic, 1811–1846
Czech Republic, Březová near Karlovy Vary, formerly Pirkenhammer; Fischer & Reichenbach manufactory; 1811–1846.
Dimensions: 9.5 × 11.5 cm.
Glazed, relief-decorated porcelain; overglaze painted decoration, gilding.
A shallow plate with an asymmetrical, shell-shaped outline, resting on a low, circular foot. The surface is delicately embossed with radial ribs radiating from the narrower end of the piece. The rim is raised, irregularly wavy, curled in places, and accentuated by molded protrusions. A wide pale pink border, lavishly gilded, features a thin gold line running along the edge.
A multicolored heraldic composition is placed at the narrower end of the mirror. Within the red field of the shield, framed in gold, is a pine tree with three leafy branches and visible roots. Above the shield is a rank crown, and above that, a crest in the form of a half-figure of a knight in armor holding a similar tree—the Godziemba coat of arms, which was used as a seal by, among others, the Dąmbski family. The shield is surrounded by elaborate panoplies, consisting of pink and blue banners, cannon barrels, and elements of bladed weapons.
Below the composition are two gilded, stylized letters, read as “D D.” These may constitute the owner’s monogram of a member of the Dąmbski family.
On the outer side of the base is the mark “F&R;,” stamped directly into the clay; this is the mark of the firm Fischer & Reichenbach, which operated a porcelain manufactory in Pirkenhammer from 1811 to 1846. The mark confirms the place of manufacture and allows the object to be dated to the first half of the 19th century. Above it, traces of a faintly imprinted mark resembling the letters “GWR” are visible. Its interpretation remains uncertain; it is most likely an additional technical, inspection, model, or workshop mark, rather than a separate manufacturer’s mark.
Its small size, the decorative shell shape, and the presence of a coat of arms and what appears to be a monogram indicate that the object was not part of ordinary tableware. It may have served as a personal dessert plate, a coaster, a small dish for sweets, or a piece of a specially commissioned heraldic service. The individually crafted heraldic decoration suggests it was commissioned for a specific member of the Dąmbski family.
Condition: as shown in the photos.
Pirkenhammer was one of the most important Czech porcelain manufactories of the 19th century. The factory was established in 1803 in the town of Pirkenhammer—now Březová near Karlovy Vary—which was then within the borders of the Habsburg Monarchy. Its founders were Friedrich Höcke and Johann Gottlob List.
In 1811, Johann Martin Fischer and Christoph Reichenbach took over the company, renaming it Fischer & Reichenbach. Fischer was primarily responsible for the commercial side of the business, while Reichenbach managed production. In 1822, the factory received a license to manufacture porcelain. After Johann Martin Fischer’s death in 1824, the company was managed by his widow, Sophie Friederike, and later by their son, Christian Fischer. In 1839, the factory’s products were awarded a gold medal at an industrial exhibition in Vienna.
The manufactory produced high-quality tableware, coffee and tea sets, vases, and decorative vessels. Its products were distinguished by their pure porcelain body, meticulously crafted forms, precise painted decoration, and rich gilding. The repertoire included both Classicist forms and pieces featuring Neorococo, shell, and relief motifs.
From 1811 to 1846, the factory’s products were most often marked with the initials “F&R;” imprinted into the porcelain body. Subsequently, the “CF” mark—referring to Christian Fischer—was used, and from around 1853—after the company became associated with the Mieg family—the “F&M;” mark and the name Fischer & Mieg were used.