I have identified the piece...3-3/4" numbered 7373/AP however the marking is nothing I've seen before on any Herend piece. I've located the marking, number 8 with a crown on this URL: http://www.oldandsold.com/pottery/germany8.shtml
This piece has also got other markings...The word HUNGARY is written under the mark, an embedded 'stamp' "HEREND" under the word HUNGARY, an embedded handwritten 7373 with an embedded '6' under that at the edge. There is also a blue handwritten 7373/AP off to the left side. This gives the 7373 handwritten in old school with the slash mark thru the 7's in two places instead of just one, like other pieces I've seen. There also appears to be a raspberry colored '5' in an upper right area.
As described, there are alot of extra markings on this piece that don't appear on any other Herend piece I've looked at at many other websites.
This piece is perfect but I can't seem to 'age' it in order to determine its worth, making me wonder if it's a replica (copy) or if it's just a piece that's older than anything else out there. The design of the flowers and leaves actually go all the way to the outside edges of the bottom inside 'floor' of the basket where newer pieces seem to end much closer to the center.
I was going to put it on ebay but need to know its worth first. If it's valuable I may leave it to my son instead.
Re: Herend Chinese Bouqet Openwork Basket Raspberry
I've also found more information. From the Herend Porcelain Marks Book, it shows three marks (I have one of them on this basket) that are from an 'unidentified period'. In another page of the book, it says "Soon the revolution and war of independence of 1848-9 prompted Herend to omit the eagle and develop a trademark, consisting of the Hungarian coat of arms surmounted by a crown, which it employed for several decades, with minor changes. This hand-painted porcelain mark was applied to Herend Porcelain during the first great period of the factory, up to 1873."
So I guess the next main question regarding dating this piece, is when did Herend start making the openwork baskets?
Re: Herend Chinese Bouqet Openwork Basket Raspberry
The key here is the place of origin mark " Hungary". Country of origin marks generally appear after 1891 to comply with the American trade tariff laws
that prohibited the import of items that did not carry a country of origin mark. Herend used marks like the one on yours from about 1915- the 1930's.
Lovejoy
Re: Herend Chinese Bouqet Openwork Basket Raspberry
Thank you very much for helping me date this piece. I've been researching it for nearly a year without success regarding that information.