Q&A on Collecting: Porcelain dishes are 'berry' nice

Q: Enclosed is a photo of a delicate berry dish set that was given to my husband, who is now 88 years old, by his grandmother many years ago. The large bowl measures over nine inches in diameter, and the four individual bowls are more than five inches in diameter. The set is decorated with white flowers, pale yellow soft orange flowers and green leaves. The scalloped edges are green with gold trim, and the set is in perfect condition. Marked on the back of each dish are a crown and a crest and the word “Bavaria.” They all have the number “1796,” and the master dish has the number “69,” and the individual ones have the number “58.” Thank you for whatever information you can give me.

A: Bavaria was the location of many porcelain factories in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A great deal of the factories included their name with their trademarks. Unfortunately some didn't and that makes it sometimes impossible to identify the maker. Porcelain berry sets included a master bowl and usually had four to six individual bowls. Most were decorated with transfer print designs rather than hand painted. “1796” refers to the set design and “69” indicates that it is the design of the master bowl, and “58” shows the dish is an individual bowl.