Description
Ćmielów Porcelain Works Chess Set.
Offered here is the famous Ćmielów Porcelain Works chess set. The king stands 3″ tall with a 1.2″ square base. Each of the chessmen have fine gold penwork and lacing, with the dark army distinguished by Black appointments on the body and base. Each of the Kings wear the company’s coat of arms, shown here, with the date 1790, the founding of the company. The chess pieces are in as new condition. The Limoges chessboard shown is not included, but a suitable chessboard can be found here. The pieces display particularly well on this chessboard. This Ćmielów Porcelain Works chess set was likely produced in the mid-20th Century.
Some History.
The Ćmielów Porcelain Works in Ćmielów, Holy Cross Province, Poland, are the oldest and among the largest porcelain works in Poland, and the largest thin-walled-china works in Europe. The Ćmielów Porcelain Works trace their history to a craft manufactory that was established in the town of Ćmielów in 1790 and expanded in 1804. Production of porcelain began in 1838. Previously, local ceramic production had been mostly simpler varieties such as faience.
In 1901 the firm received a grand prize at the All-Russia Exhibition in St. Petersburg. The manufactory changed owners several times and in 1924, the firm acquired a smaller works in nearby Chodzież. In 1946, the firm was nationalized in communist Poland. Half a century later, in 1997, the firm was reprivatized. In the mid-2010s, the company was split into Polskie Fabryki Porcelany „Ćmielów and Fabryki Porcelany AS.
During the interwar period, the firm’s products became known internationally, with buyers including the royal court in Belgium and the Vatican City. Ćmielów ceramics are exhibited in numerous Polish museums, the largest collection being at the Polish National Museum in Kielce.
