Since 1848, a porcelain company named Carlsbad has been producing dinnerware in what is now the Czech Republic. Following the establishment of a kaolin processing plant at that location in 1842, Carlsbad and other porcelain manufacturers in the area have had access to a fine, white porcelain body. Carlsbad Porcelain has a wide range of dinnerware patterns of the kinds available from most porcelain dinnerware manufacturers. These are readily available in the secondary market and not expensive since the company continued in production until 1937, when its name was changed to Winterling.

Several factories in the area use the word “Carlsbad” in their makers mark, so care must be taken if you want Carlsbad Porcelain and not just something made in the region. “Victoria Carlsbad Austria” on the piece is for another manufacturer as well.

The dinnerware from this company is nicely made and has plain, embossed, scalloped and pierced edges to its plates and serving pieces. They make many floral patterns, some with the flowers only on the rim, some with tiny flowers all over the plate, and some with both. They have some geometric patterns as well, and their Greek Key pattern is quite nice. The serving pieces are pretty standard for porcelain dinnerware, and the company produced nice crescent bone plates.

My recommendation: If you have a fondness for a particular pattern of Carlsbad, by all means get a few pieces. The prices are reasonable. Trying to form a complete set of dinnerware is going to be work, unless you find someone who wants to sell Grandmother’s good china and she just happened to prefer a Carlsbad pattern.

You can see the current eBay listings for Carlsbad porcelain listings on eBay on this Squidoo lens.

Carlsbad porcelain is beautiful and white, and an occasional purchase of a serving piece or item for your vanity table is well worth the price.