Description
Airship Graf Zeppelin 1928 porcelain plate 8-in diameter “large logo” type. Rare gold-trimmed in-flight china made by Heinrich & Co in Bavaria, Germany; excellent overall condition, considering the age. FREE EXPEDITED SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S. FOR THIS ITEM.
Extremely rare “in flight service” formal dinnerware porcelain plate that was used on board of the legendary German rigid airship Graf Zeppelin in the 1920th. German designation for the famous airship was number LZ127; she became the most recognized blimp of the time after she completed the first intercontinental flight in 1928 and first around-the-world flight in 1929. Graf Zeppelin and its sister ship LZ129 Hindenburg had an innovative design and were designated for carrying many passengers and cargo over long distances. The passengers aboard Graf Zeppelin traveled in unparalleled luxury and comfort, enjoying their meals in the full-size dining room with dishes served on fine “ivory” china trimmed with 24K gold – see the actual photo of the ship’s interior dining area attached, courtesy of Wikipedia.
One of the largest airships of the time, Graf Zeppelin had a crew of 36 (!!) men. Here are a few basic facts about LZ127: ship’s length – 776 feet/236.53 meters; ship’s diameter: 100 feet/30.48 meters; gas volume (Hydrogen): 3,700,000 cu. feet/111,000 cu. meters; propulsion: five 550-horse power Maybach engines; maximum speed: 80 mph / 128 km/hr. The most successful commercial airship ever built, Graf Zeppelin flew more than a 1,000,000 miles on 590 flights, carrying well over 34,000 passengers without a single injury. Sadly, in 1940 the Nazis cut up all of their rigid airships – quality aluminum was needed for Luftwaffe’s war planes.
This porcelain dinner plate is a shining example of such long-gone extravagant airship travel experience. The plate is decorated with several 24K gold bands, one cobalt-blue band around the rim and the classic LZ blue-white-and gold logo on the front – this is the “large logo” (23mm x 17mm) type. The fine porcelain tableware for the LZ airship line was made by Heinrich & Co. in Bavaria, Germany. The back is marked with the H&Co. SELB Bavaria Germany logo in green letters in the center. Below the logo it is marked HEINRICH-ELFENBEIN-PORZELLAN / >>GRAF ZEPPELIN REEDEREI<< / 1928 (transition from German: Heinrich Ivory Porcelain / GRAF ZEPPELIN) in red letters. Porcelain pottery master’s personal S mark is clearly visible under the glazing. The plate is slightly used with just a few typical scratches from forks and knives. It’s in great overall condition, considering the age – no damage to the porcelain or gold plaiting; no chips, cracks, or repairs. The plate is about 8″ / 20.2 cm in diameter; no flackes/chips, or other loss to the 24K gold plating; a few dirt spots on the front are noted for accuracy. I was able to purchase a few remaining German zeppelin “in-flight service” porcelain pieces from a long-time collector. I’ll be posting other “Zeppelin porcelain” items in the coming weeks – don’t forget to check out Vintage Collectables section for similar listings.
This Airship Graf Zeppelin 1928 porcelain plate made by Heinrich & Co. and marked DEUTSCHE ZEPPELIN REEDEREI is in 100% genuine or your money back. The plate was part of a life-long airship-related collection; it is in the original “as is” condition – not cleaned, repaired, or tempered with; these are the actual photos.
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FREE USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S. FOR THIS ITEM!
International shipping via USPS International Priority Mail for this item will be $75 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.
