Our “Christmas In July” featured museum pieces this month are two holiday platters made by the Bing and Grondahl Company (remember, these featured museum items are so rare as to not be available for purchase). Between the years of 1908 and 1911, Bing and Grondahl released four, 12-inch platter designs (of which we have two) that have become quite rare and valuable over time. The first platter featured, and pictured at right, is entitled Bethlehem and was designed by Frk. Guldberg. This platter was released in 1908 and features a beautiful nighttime landscape of Bethlehem at the time of the Christ child’s birth.

The second featured piece is entitled A Child Is Born in Bethlehem and was designed by Jens Peter Dahl-Jensen. Released in 1910, this platter features the Madonna and child framed by an arch-shaped window. Through the window, one can see the star that heralded the birth of the Christ child. Little is known about how many of each plate were produced, but there is evidence that more of the 1908 and 1909 plates were produced than the 1910 and 1911 plates. Together, the 1908 and 1910 plates are valued at approximately $2000-$3000. Each plate is hand painted in beautifully translucent cobalt blue on a white clay biscuit. After the pieces are painted, they are fired using a controlled underglaze method. (Bing and Grondahl perfected the underglaze method of firing in 1889 and many companies now use it to help produce sharp crisp images that do not bleed.) Bing and Grondahl is the second oldest and second largest porcelain producing factory in Denmark, rivaling only Royal Copenhagen. The company was formed in 1853 in Copenhagen by Frederik Vilhelm Grondahl with financing by M.H. and J.H. Bing. Although we do not offer these two beautiful featured museum pieces for sale, we do carry a large selection of gorgeous pieces in the Bing and Grondahl annual Christmas plate collection that are for sale, including a rare plate issued in 1895, Behind The Frozen Window . In 1895, one could buy a Bing and Grondahl Christmas plate for $0.50. Today, Behind the Frozen Window retails for more than $8,000! If you are interested in learning more about the history of this amazing company, then please click here. You can click here to see a list of all of the Bing and Grondahl annual Christmas plates that Replacements, Ltd. offers for sale.