Large Rare Antique Volkstedt German Porcelain Group of Gardeners, Marked

Large Rare Antique Volkstedt German Porcelain Group of Gardeners, Marked

An ornate porcelain figural group depicting classical figures gathered around a rocky landscape with flowers and baskets, finished in slate blue, white, and gilt highlights on a molded gold-tone base. Stands approximately 9 inches tall. Good condition with light wear consistent with age.
Large Rare Antique 19th centuryVolkstedt German Porcelain Group of Gardeners, Marked R 1762

This mark was used by Volkstedt factory in the early 19th century. There is a similar piece done by Meissen in the same time period. It was not unusual for Meissen factory to make blank pieces and send them to be painted to other shops.

If Meissen made this piece is worth much much more. The feel, the weight of the porcelain is Meissen, but i am not an expert; with the details on hands and flowers (see pictures), while the hand paint job and guilding feel different.


No restoration work visible. There is a piece of a rake missing and few petals. All in all excellent condition.

The mark R 1762 represents the year when Prince Johann Friedrich established the factory in Rudolstadt.



In September 1760, Georg Heinrich Macheleid (1723-1801) made a request to Prince Johann Friedrich, Fürst von Schwartzburg-Rudolstadt to establish a porcelain factory in Sitzendorf, Thuringia, Germany. Macheleid previously worked at a glass factory in Glücksthal. Independent of the ceramicists at Meissen, Macheleid conducted his own research into creating a hard paste porcelain.


Prince Johann Friedrich granted Macheleid’s request in 1762 with the stipulation that the plant be located near his court in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Macheleid established the Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik (Oldest Volkstedt Porcelain Factory) in Volstedt which became part of Rudolstadt in 1923. Macheleid created a self-sustaining village for his workers.


In 1767, Macheleid left. The factory came under the control of the prince, his wife, his son, and five other investors. They leased the factory to Christian Nome from Erfurt. During the latter half of the eighteenth century, Volksted gained a reputation for its well modeled and painted figurines, rivaling those of Meissen. In 1793, Prince Johann Friedrich purchased all outstanding shares. In 1797, Prince Ludwig Friedrich, Johann’s successor, sold the factory to his brother-in-law Ernest Constantine, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippstahl, who sold it to Wilhelm Greiner and Carl Holzapfel several years later. Nome left around 1800.


Holzapfel left in 1816. Wilhelm Greiner’s son Anton formed a partnership with a group of investors. The new firm was named Greiner, Stauch & Co. About 1861, the firm became Macheleid, Triebner & Co. In 1877, the firm was known as Triebner, Ens & Eckert. In 1894, Richard Eckert left to form his own company. Triebner and Ens created Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik Triebner, Ens & Co. Ens left to create his own firm. The remaining firm became AeltesteVolkstedter Porzellan Factory Triebner & Co. The company was a joint stock company from 1898 to 1902.


In the mid and late 19th century, rival ceramic manufacturers, such as Beyer & Boch, Kämmer & Kramer, and Müller and Hammer, established ceramic factories in Volkstedt.


Around 1902, the company acquired the Porcelain Factory Unterweissbach in Unterweissbach. In 1909, the company established a porcelain workshop to train workers. Following World War I, Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik AG became part of a combine with six other ceramic manufacturers. When the combine collapsed in 1936, it was reorganized as Staalich Thüringische Porzellan-Manufaktur vormal Aelteste Volkstedter Gmbh and operated as such until 1949.