Game Plates: Hand-Painted Porcelain with Wild Game and Bird Subjects

Game plates are decorative porcelain plates and serving pieces featuring hand-painted or transfer-printed depictions of wild game birds, fish, and animals, produced primarily for formal dining services from the 1870s through the 1920s. Made by leading European and American porcelain manufacturers including Limoges factories, Royal Vienna, Dresden, and Bavarian producers, game plates were intended for the fish and game courses of elaborate multi-course dinners. Complete game sets with matching platters are the most sought-after examples.

History and Purpose

• 1870s-1920s: Primary production period, coinciding with the era of formal multi-course dining
• Game plates were used specifically for serving wild game, fish, and fowl courses
• Each plate in a set typically depicted a different species of game bird or animal
• Sets commonly consisted of 12 plates with a matching platter, sometimes with a sauce boat
• Major producers included Limoges factories (Haviland, Coronet, T&V), Bavarian manufacturers, and Dresden decorators
• The tradition reflected the Victorian and Edwardian passion for hunting and sporting culture

Types and Subjects

• Game bird plates: Quail, pheasant, woodcock, grouse, partridge, duck, and other fowl
• Fish plates: Trout, salmon, bass, pike, and other freshwater and saltwater species
• Animal subjects: Deer, rabbit, boar, and other quarry
• Combined sets: Mixed game birds and animals within a single service
• Serving pieces: Large platters, covered dishes, and sauce boats to match plate sets
• Cabinet plates: Individual display plates with particularly fine painting

Identification and Marks

• Limoges (France): Multiple factories produced game plates; look for "T&V" (Tressemanes & Vogt), "Coronet," "Haviland," or "Limoges France"
• Bavarian: "Bavaria" with various factory marks (Thomas, Hutschenreuther, Tirschenreuth)
• Dresden: Often elaborately decorated with heavy gilt borders
• Royal Vienna: Beehive mark with hand-painted game subjects
• Quality ranges from master-level hand painting to mediocre transfer printing with hand-colored accents
• Artist-signed plates command premiums; look for signatures near the image

Auction Price Ranges

Condition Factors

• Gilt borders are particularly susceptible to wear; intact, heavy gilding significantly increases value
• Hand-painted decoration should be unfaded and undamaged; scratches through the painting reduce value
• Knife marks on the decorated surface indicate the plate was used for dining; these diminish value
• Crazing is uncommon on hard-paste porcelain; its presence may suggest a lesser-quality body
• Complete sets should have matching borders and consistent artistic quality throughout

Collecting Tips

• Complete sets of 12 plates with matching platter command premiums far exceeding the sum of individual plate values
• Quality of the painting is the primary value driver; masterfully executed birds with detailed plumage are worth many times generic renderings
• Artist-signed plates carry modest premiums; identified artists with recognized reputations carry more
• Limoges game plates are the most commonly found and offer the broadest range of quality and price
• Fish plates are a parallel collecting category with similar price structures
• Game plates display effectively on plate racks or in china cabinets and appeal to both porcelain collectors and sporting art enthusiasts