Mystery ‘Coffee’ Set Has Reader Puzzled
Armed with a mark and solid provenance, a reader turns to Kovels Antique Trader for help identifying what the family believes is a coffee set from Austria. Turns out, the family is half right.
Recently, a reader contacted us about what the family believes is a coffee set from Austria. Our expert appraiser, Dr. Anthony Cavo, not only solved the mystery but set the record straight on just what the reader has.
Question: I have several pieces that all belong to the same set: a coffee pot, a small plate, a regular cup and saucer and a demitasse cup and saucer, but at the moment I’m particularly interested in the coffeepot. Regarding provenance, these items belonged to the family of my wife’s former in-laws, who immigrated from Germany circa 1930. The overall look is somewhat “frilly” and decidedly on the feminine side. On the underside of all pieces there is a crowned double-headed eagle with “M.Z.” above and “AUSTRIA below. As far as the value of the coffeepot goes, I don’t expect it to be a priceless rarity, but I would like to have a decent idea. If $20 is a reasonable amount to ask, I don’t want to offer it for $10.
Answer: We can begin by identifying what this is and how we know what it is. This is a teapot, not a coffee pot. Teapots are usually short and round. The wide, round base allows the tea leaves to move freely in the water, which enhances the flavor. The spout on a teapot is at the center of the pot and short in length. Coffee pots are not as bulbous as tea pots. They are slender, which helps concentrate and maintain the heat as coffee tends to cool faster than tea. Hot air rises, so the spout is placed at the bottom of the pot to trap the heat in the pot. Spouts on coffee pots are also longer than spouts on teapots and typically have a filter at the base of the spout.
Chocolate Pots are tall, slender, and have short spouts at the very top that are more similar to the spout on a pitcher. The cap, or lid on a chocolate pot is usually dome-shaped and wide to allow for the inclusion of a wood frother to mix the chocolate and create a froth. The wide spout allows unobstructed passage of the froth.
Your teapot is part of a larger set as verified by the presence of two different cups and saucers and a dessert plate. It was made by Moritz Zdekauer at his porcelain works in Altrohlau, Austria, somewhere between 1884 and 1909 as indicated by the mark that was used during that time. The company was a large exporter to North and South America.
Since you do not mention how many pieces are in the set, I assume you only have the pieces photographed: a teapot, coffee cup and saucer, chocolate cup and saucer and a dessert plate. A fancy Moritz Zdekauer teapot sells in the $40-$60 range, cups and saucers in the $15 range and dessert plates in the $20-$25 range. Values vary depending on the area in which the item is sold and the sale venue.
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Dr. Anthony J. Cavo is an honors graduate of the Asheford Institute of Antiques and a graduate of Reisch College of Auctioneering. He has extensive experience in the field of buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Cavo is also the author of Love Immortal: Antique Photographs and Stories of Dogs and Their People.
