Understanding Capodimonte Italian Porcelain Marks

Capodimonte Fleur de Lis Mark (First Version)

The porcelain mark shown above is the first mark Capodimonte used in the mid-1700s at the Royal Factory in Naples, established by King Charles VII. Before this mark was stamped on wares ranging from figurines to tableware, Capodimonte pieces were all unmarked. This marking was usually stamped in blue or gold, on the bottom of pieces made during the era (some pieces were impressed or incised with a similar mark). Most examples of porcelain with this stamping are considered rarities and are held in private collections or museums—rhey are seldom found by collectors on the secondary market today.

Capodimonte Fleur de Lis Mark (Second Version)

Like the above-mentioned fleur-de-lis mark, this marking was stamped in blue or gold on the bottom of pieces made at the Royal Factory in Naples. The mark was used until 1771 when the crown over Neopolitan N mark came into use. Again, most wares bearing these old marks are in private collections or museums and are rarely found by collectors on the secondary market today.

Capodimonte Crown Over Neopolitan N Mark

The mark shown here was stamped in blue on several pieces, including decorative objects and tableware made in the second Capodimonte factory established in Naples by King Charles VII’s son, Ferdinand. This is the mark most dealers and collectors associate with Capodimonte. It was used from 1771 until the factory closed in the early 1800s (some sources indicate a closing date of 1817, others say 1834). Pieces with this mark occasionally appear on the secondary antique market—usually at high-end antique shows—and collectors highly prize the items if in excellent to mint condition.

Capodimonte Wares Made by Other Companies

Other companies have made and marketed items as Capodimonte since the 1920s. Some of these wares are fine porcelain and marked "Capodimonte made in Italy" somewhere on the piece. Many have some variation of the crown over the Neopolitan N mark in their stamps; others more fully identify the factory or designer. Some of these marks simply read "Capodimonte Italy" in gold, and the quality of these pieces varies widely.

The marks just noted are those that collectors will encounter most often when shopping for Capodimonte today. These pieces did not come from the Royal Factory before it closed in the 1800s, but collectors still value many of the items if the craftsmanship is high caliber. Other marked items that are more commonly found are usually poorly decorated and worth far less than highly valued pieces (i.e., fine figurines and beautiful flowers). Less desirable home shopping channel items and pieces made of resin also fall into this lower-quality category, and their value is usually quite low.

Capodimonte Sticker Labels Used by Numerous Companies

In addition to being stamped with variations of the crown and Neopolitan N mark, along with "made in Italy" and the name "Capodimonte," several pieces made throughout the 20th century have sticker labels to mark the items. When these stickers are still in place, it's much easier to identify and date pieces.

Of course, these stickers were easily removable and could wear away. The label shown here identifies Napoleon as the maker of a finely crafted flower made in the Capodimonte tradition—exemplifying the sticker type of label. Once these labels are removed, the items are deemed "unmarked" although they may still be recognizable as late Capodimonte pieces.