Pottery & porcelain

Carl scheidig porcelain marks

The name “ERPHILA” appears among Carl scheidig porcelain marks from Gräfenthal, Germany. Its mark period is 1906–1935.

Active years: 1906–2009
Country: Germany
City / region: Gräfenthal
Marks: 43

Private Scheidig business 1906–1972; state successor to 1990; later GmbH deleted from register in May 2009.

Identify a mark Marks timeline Maker history What to look for Look-alikes Related makers

etsy.com

1906–1935

What to look for

The early eagle carries a horizontal arrow with C S below it. The later angular crowned eagle has the initials on its chest.
Read additions such as Kronenadler and Kunstporzellan. They distinguish complete inscriptions that share the crowned eagle.
A crowned S with GDR is different from an unqualified crowned S. Older molds and export marks could continue across changes in ownership.
Impressed numbers are model references; they are not manufacture years. The collector’s original catalogues connect numbers with the figures.

Dated marks & timeline

43 marks

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

c. 1875–1879

impressed

impressed · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used from around , the basic impressed version without any additions.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

c. 1875–1879

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used from around , here with a border enclosing the mark.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

c. 1875–1879

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used from around in this form, registered at the at the Herzogliches Landgericht Gräfenthal on -03.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

c. 1875–1879

impressed

impressed · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used from around , the basic impressed version without any additions.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1879–1886

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , another example with the "Dep." addition.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1879–1886

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , the common version with the "Dep." addition.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

From 1886

blue

blue · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used onwards, blue version with the "Foreign" addition. Two horizontal bars, but normal middle ornament.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

From 1886

green

green · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used onwards, another example in green.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

From 1886

red crown

red · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used onwards, here in red, the crown shows two horizontal bars and a raised middle ornament.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

From 1886

blue

blue · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used onwards, here in blue, again two horizontal bars and raised middle ornament. (Picture: Lars Melin)

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1906–1935

red

red · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , here the also common red version. (Picture: Dianne Pickering)

CSMark wording

1906–1935

CS

green · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , green eagle carrying an arrow and the initials " " for Carl Scheidig .

ERPHILAMark wording

1906–1935

ERPHILA

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , example of the previously shown mark together with the mark of Ebeling & Reuss of Philadelphia.

etsy.com

1906–1935

C S

Arrow beneath the bird and small initials below; lacks the later geometric chest monogram.

printed

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1935–1972

label

label · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , paper label with "Scheidig Kunst", the crowned eagle and "Gaäfenthal, Thür." (short for "Thüringen").

CSMark wording

1935–1972

CS

impressed · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , a stylized crowned eagle with " " on its chest, here smudged by the impressed "Foreign".

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1935–1972

green

green · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , with the addition "Kunstporzellan". Green example. (Picture: Marcus W. Brast)

CSMark wording

1935–1972

CS

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , note the " " on its chest. (Picture: Jeannine Wargacki)

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1935–1972

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , here with the trade name addition "Kronenadler" ("crowned eagle"). (Picture: Stephanie Harris)

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

1935–1972

red

red · Gräfenthal, Germany

Used between , with the addition "Kunstporzellan". Red example.

porcelainmarksandmore.com

c. 1935–1972

Kronenadler / C S / GERMANY

Kronenadler script above the eagle; country wording beneath.

printed

porcelainmarksandmore.com

c. 1935–1972

Scheidig Kunst / Gräfenthal, Thür.

Applied gold ornamental label explicitly names Scheidig Kunst and the locality.

label

porcelainmarksandmore.com

c. 1935–1972

C S / Kunstporzellan

Underlined Kunstporzellan below the eagle replaces the Kronenadler script.

printed

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

c. 1952

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

Gräfenthal, Germany

green · Gräfenthal, Germany

a single crown, here also in green. See "Comment(s)" above.

Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbHMaker name

Undated

Mark image

Gräfenthal, Germany

This is claimed to be the first mark used but the capital letter "I" does not make sense as there is no relationship either to the location or company.

About Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbH

Carl Scheidig founded his porcelain factory at Gräfenthal in Thuringia in 1906. The district already had several competing porcelain manufacturers, but nearby railway access and an established supply network supported the new venture. Its range concentrated on figures: individual people, groups and animals, together with lamps, candlesticks, bookends and devotional objects.

The business acquired the porcelain factory at Reichmannsdorf in 1925. Its illustrated catalogues reveal a large and varied stock of models, reaching approximately 10,000 by 1955. Children, dancers, birds, dogs and religious figures formed part of that range. Model numbers impressed into the base connected individual pieces with the catalogue illustrations.

In 1972 the private firm was nationalized and continued within the Gräfenthal state porcelain organization. Older molds and marks remained in circulation alongside newer identities. After German reunification, a limited company resumed the Gräfenthal name and drew on surviving molds, catalogues and decoration records. That successor’s legal registration was deleted in May 2009. The earlier eagle devices, later crowned letters and changing country inscriptions reflect several organizational periods within the same manufacturing tradition.

Also known as: Porzellanfabrik Carl Scheidig KG · VEB Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal · Carl Scheidig KG · Scheidig Kunst · Kronenadler · Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbH vormals Scheidig KG · Porzellanfabrik Carl Scheidig KG; later Porzellanfiguren Gräfenthal GmbH · Porzellanfabrik Carl Schneiders Erben · Porzellanfabrik Schneider & Hutschenreuther · Porzellanfabrik Unger, Schneider & Cie.

Look-alikes & how to tell them apart

Carl Schneiders Erben, Gräfenthal

A separate local factory used crowned-G, arrow and scissors-related devices. The Scheidig surname and CS eagle must not be expanded as Schneider merely because both factories operated at Gräfenthal.

Wagner & Apel

Some state-period Scheidig figures combine the eagle with a separate Wagner & Apel crown because earlier molds were reused. Record both devices and the model rather than treating an isolated crown as a complete identification.