Capo di Monte Place Settings, Signed on the back: "Palazzo Reale Napoli, G.M." or "The Royal Palace of Naples". Set of 24 plates - 12 dinner plates, 12 salad or desert plates. One of a kind unique collection. Salad plates: 7.5" diameter. Dinner plates: 11" diameter. Excellent condition. Acquired through the former Vatican ambassador to the United Nations.
Capodimonte: The relief style, highly colored and defined porcelain pieces are commonly called and identified in our current market place as Capo-di-Monte. It was King Ferdinand IV, son of King Charles who opened a factory in Naples in 1771 and began to use the mark of the blue crown N (BCN). When the factory closed in 1834, the Ginori family at Doccia near Florence, Italy, acquired what was left of the factory and continued using its mark.
The factory continued until 1896 when it was then combined with Societa Ceramica Richard of Milan which continues today to manufacture fine porcelain pieces marked with a crest and wreaths under a blue crown with R Capodimonte. As more collectors recognize and appreciate the quality of the older ware, buyer demand drives prices higher.
