c1881 ANTIQUE BSM BECHER STARK MERKLIN LARGE COVERED SUGAR BOWL, AUSTRIA BOHEMIA

Description

Maker
: This gorgeous antique covered sugar bowl was produced by the Bohemian porcelain maker Becher Stark Merklin, or BSM.
BSM is part of a complex history of company ownership that began in 1868 when Alfred and Malvine Becher founded a porcelain factory in Merkelsgrun, now known as Merklin, in Bohemia, Czech Republic, which was then part of Austria. By 1871, the factory was owned by Fanni Becher and Anna Stark and renamed Becher & Stark.
Marks and age
: This large sugar bowl has no maker's mark but a coffee pot in the same pattern has a green square overglaze "BSM" mark that is believed to have been in use from 1881 to 1891, making it at least 129 years old and perhaps older.
On the sugar bowl's base are the red handwritten pattern number 1271/728 and a long and unclear impressed mark.
Design
: The lovely pattern features finely hand painted pink florals and brown leaves.
Size
: The sugar bowl base is 5 3/8 inches tall without the lid, which adds about 2 inches to the height. It's 3 3/4 inches wide at the top and weighs 1 pound 4 ounces.
Condition
: It's in excellent condition with no nicks, chips, cracks, stains or repairs. There is wear to the gold; it's visible in the photos.
Please check all the photos very carefully - they are an important part of the description.
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