Royal Vienna

1. Royal Vienna and the “beehive” mark occur frequently on fine Porcelain & China pieces, mostly on items of decorative appeal.
2. There is not and never was a company or factory called “Royal Vienna”.
3. Many Collectors have used this term to refer to the “Imperial & Royal Porcelain Manufactory" in Vienna, Austria, and in operation ca 1718 - 1864 only. However, Royal Vienna was not their official name.
4. In addition to their legacy for stunning Porcelain Artwork and Ceramic masterpieces, one other involuntary contribution made to today’s Collecting world is their famous “bindenschild” mark meant to represent the Royal Shield found in the center of the Royal Crest of the Hapsburg Royal Family, who mentored and financed them.
5.  The “beehive” mark resembles a normal beehive when upside down, and is the second most imitated Porcelain mark after Meissen’s Crossed Swords.
6. As mentioned, it is true that some Collectors refer to pieces made by the original Imperial & Royal Porcelain Manufactory as “Royal Vienna” and use this term as an abbreviation. However, it should be pointed out that this term is also being used by others to refer to the style of certain items, not necessarily their origin or maker. For example, most classically-themed Decorative Plates that have a “beehive” mark and made ca 1880s – 1940s, are often called “Royal Vienna Plates”, but in this case, when applied correctly, the reference is to their style. Therefore, when someone proclaims a piece to be “Royal Vienna”, the obvious question should be “do you mean from the Imperial & Royal factory period or made later in that style?”
7. If it is an original Imperial & Royal Manufactory piece, the authentic beehive mark is never symmetrical and always underglaze in blue or impressed [more signs and ways to distinguish these marks are also included in Rontgen’s book]. However, this is exactly where more doubts creep in… There are so many copies and imitations of the beehive mark, it can make your head spin. Not only was this mark forged almost immediately upon the original factory being auctioned off by the King because of financial difficulties, but this mark is also found to be used in several variations even to this day, sometimes by Trading companies or Importers. A word of caution: many pieces that used a copy or imitation beehive mark are not necessarily of poor quality. In fact, the vast majority of these later Royal Vienna pieces, especially those made ca 1870s – 1950s, are of high workmanship and usually command high prices. Most were made at reputable Studios and by accomplished Artisans, usually in the Bohemian region of Europe, but also in England, France, Italy etc. Many of these “copy” marks have been well documented and attributed to various makers by Ceramics Historians in several books and websites.