Undated
DIANA; surrounding country wording partly indistinct
Diana imagery and the circular border replace the R.S. wreath; collector identifies an overglaze color transfer.
printed overglaze transfer
Pottery & porcelain
RS Prussia marks
RS Prussia marks include printed overglaze “S & T / R S / GERMANY” lettering. Erdmann Schlegelmilch was a separate Suhl porcelain business.
- Active years
- 1869–1945
- Marks
- 5
Suhl factory 1869–1917; Tillowitz branch 1894–1945. Polish production followed after the war.
What to look for
- Read the complete country or place wording below the R.S. initials. Prussia, Germany, Poland and Tillowitz distinguish different inscriptions; red and green impressions of the same design are one mark family.
- Compare the five-pointed star, leafy wreath and central sprig as well as the initials. The S & T device has a roof-shaped outline and refers to Suhl and Tillowitz.
- The Poland China mark includes Made in (German) Poland. That wording alone does not date the object to a period of Polish ownership.
- Diana is a colored pictorial medallion rather than an R.S. letter-and-wreath stamp. The collector catalogue identifies it as an overglaze transfer on Schlegelmilch porcelain.
Dated marks & timeline
5 marks
Undated
Poland China / R S / Made in (German) Poland
The circular Poland China wording and German Poland inscription distinguish this from the star-and-Prussia mark.
printed
Undated
R S / Prussia
Prussia below the wreath, with a separate outlined star above; color variations alone do not create a different mark.
printed
Undated
S & T / R S / GERMANY
S & T above R S joins the Suhl and Tillowitz identities; no star-and-leaf wreath.
printed overglaze
About R.S. Prussia
Reinhold Schlegelmilch established a porcelain factory at Suhl in Thuringia in 1869, using the site of a former iron hammer works. The business made table and ornamental porcelain, including elaborate molded forms and decorated serving pieces. North America became an important export market for Suhl porcelain, and R.S. Prussia developed into a familiar export identity.
The family expanded into Tillowitz in Silesia, now Tułowice in Poland. An old porcelain manufactory was taken over in 1889, followed by the new branch factory in 1894. Better access to fuel, raw materials and labor encouraged the transfer of production. Reinhold’s sons Ehrhard and Arnold participated in the business. Production at Suhl ended in 1917; the Tillowitz operation continued under the Schlegelmilch family until 1945.
The range included floral decoration, richly modeled borders and designs influenced by Art Nouveau. The Depression reduced employment and output at Tillowitz. After the Second World War, the factory passed into state ownership and its production changed. Erdmann Schlegelmilch was a separate Suhl porcelain business. Despite the shared surname and similar products, it was not a branch of Reinhold’s firm.
Also known as: R.S. Germany · R.S. Poland · R.S. Tillowitz · Reinhold Schlegelmilch · Reinhold Schlegelmilch porcelain factories, Suhl and Tillowitz
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Erdmann Schlegelmilch: E.S., Prov. Saxe and bird devices →
This separate Suhl factory used E.S. initials and several bird or Prov. Saxe marks. The R.S. initials identify Reinhold’s business; a shared Schlegelmilch surname does not join the factories.