Antique of the Week: Goldscheider Porcelain Cinderella

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community's points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

Nestled away inside Judy Sanders' Split Personality Antiques stands a Goldscheider porcelain Cinderella circa 1940s–1950s . During the late 1800s, the company was founded by Friedrich Goldscheider in Vienna. Saunders said it was the premier manufacturer of ceramics in Europe.

The company employed some of the best sculptors and ceramic artists in Europe, including Walter Bosse, and it opened branches in Paris, Leipzig and Berlin, according to Goldscheider's website.

After Kristallnacht, Goldscheider relocated to Staffordshire, England, where it was managed by Friedrich Goldsheider's son Marcell. After the war, his other son, Walter, brought the business to the U.S..

Saunders said that the business was established in Trenton, New Jersey.  However, Walter tried to revive it in Austria and returned the business to Vienna in 1950. It failed to succeed due to its imitations by the Nazi's protégé, Josef Schuster, during World War II. The company's license was sold to Carstens, a German company that created the ceramics until 1963. Friederich's grandson, Peter, tried one last time to produce the products, but it did not last.

Interested parties can buy the original Goldscheider Cinderella for $345 at Split Personality Antiques. Stop by the shop at located at 3776 Howard Avenue or phone at 301-962-5222.