Cup

A decorated porcelain cup with a saucer was a souvenir for tourists visiting pre-war Szczecin, an original memento from the trip. It is decorated with the coat of arms of Szczecin – a head of a red griffin, the symbol of princes from the Griffin dynasty, with a golden beak and a crown against a blue shield, along with German inscription Stettin. It was made by the Metzler & Ortloff porcelain factory, which operated in Ilmenau in Thuringia in 1873-1976. The company made dishes, pharmacy utensils, table decorations, figurines, trinkets, as well as dolls and their parts. The high quality of the porcelain products made with great attention to detail made them extremely popular both in Germany and around the world. The company, which was the second largest porcelain manufacturer in the region, made mainly dishes, pharmacy utensils, table decorations, figurines, trinkets, as well as dolls and their parts, which were then processed by the toy industry. With time, the production was expanded to include decorative porcelain, vases, candlesticks and bowls. The high quality of the porcelain made with attention to every detail made the products manufactured by Metzler & Ortloff very popular both in Germany and worldwide. The factory collaborated with many well-known German sculptors and porcelain designers, including Paul Wynand, Siegismund Wernekinck, Erich Schmidt-Kestner, Carl Nacke, August Bornkessel, Karl Röhrig, Paul Zeiller, Gustav Oppel, Hans Knesl, Walter Bosse, Helmut Diller, Fritz Diller, Franz Lippert, Klára Herczeg, Horst Aschermann, Josef Baier, Richard Scheibe, Max Sauerbrey, Erich Legler, Max Sauerbreay, as well as Karl Kemedinger. The Metzler & Ortloff brand is still valued by collectors today.

Anna Lew-Machniak