Hi Hayden,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

This service is for demitasse, the French word meaning "half cup", and refers to both a small cup used for serving strong coffee and to the coffee service associated with it. Typically, the cups are smaller than a standard coffee mug and are used for espresso, Turkish coffee, Moka coffee and after-dinner coffee.

In collecting and decorative arts, demitasse cups and saucers are surprisingly significant because they sit at the intersection of ceramics, silver, social history, and café culture.

In the 18th and especially the 19th century, coffee became an important social beverage throughout Europe. As coffee service became more formal, specialized vessels developed for different beverages. The demitasse emerged as the preferred way to serve concentrated coffee after meals. Owning an elegant demitasse service became a sign of refinement and hospitality.

The late Victorian and Edwardian periods (roughly 1880-1920) are considered the golden age of the demitasse tradition, and collectors like to collect the cups, which are sometimes referred to as "small jewels of porcelain."

Because demitasse pieces were small and decorative, they became ideal canvases for luxury makers, including Meissen, Sèvres, Royal Vienna, Limoges, Royal Copenhagen, Wedgwood, Minton and Noritake. Hand-painted scenes or heavy gilding, raised enamel decoration and jeweling, or portrait medallions and Art Nouveau or Art Deco motifs were common.

All the finest potteries and porcelain manufactories marked their wares in such a way as to identify the potter but your set lack these, making it more difficult to attribute the maker.

The deep burgundy ground and elegant gilt scrollwork is characteristic of sets made in Bavaria, Germany, though this design is also found in sets made in Staffordshire, England.

As an unattributed set, this might not be as desirable to collectors as a set by a known maker but it still has value based on the merit of its style and design, and if this were to come up at auction, I would expect it to sell within $300 and $500.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Bavarian style parcel gilt porcelain demitasse service
unattributed maker, possibly German, mid 20th Century
Comprising: a tall coffee pot with cream pitcher, covered sugar bowl and six cups and saucers.
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: Acquired in Spain in the 1960s
$300-500*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia