Posted 7 years ago
Natandfour
(6 items)
Any ideas about this hand painted plastic salt/pepper shaker set???? Each leg removes as individual shaker. Assembled 6inches tall .... 8inches wide . Looking for tips about age or origin!!
Interesting piece but cant find any info what so ever | ||
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I did a little digging around on Bitburg/Eifel. It's a complicated journey. One thing of interest is that Bitburg was literally destroyed by allied forces bombing attacks against the Nazis, who had occupied the area and essentially took over. Most of the bombing was done by the U.S. The only industry at that time involved employment-boosting public works projects under Nazi control, including infrastructure for war, new armed forces barracks; the building of the 309 mile "Westwall" and the development of the Kyll Valley railway. There is no mention of any type of production that would include your chef until 1995.
The former NATO base, which had been established in 1952 by the U.S. Air Force, was turned over to the City in 1994. The following year, it was converted to a commercial development district (Bitburg Airfield Trade Area) where approx. 180 enterprises established themselves. I'm thinking this might be the approximate time that any production facility making such things as you have might have begun.
The area is situated over the equator, and was once covered by a warm, shallow sea. The sediment from the sea bed changed into dolomite, limestone and clay, that became the basis for pottery and other similar production. This would possibly support the idea that your "chef" was produced there, but the timing is suspect. Since pretty much everything was destroyed during WWII, (except the resilient Bitburg Brewery - even Americans wouldn't bomb a beer factory) it's not likely that was produced until Bitburg's commercial recovery after 1995.
Disclaimer: This is all pure speculation based on my study of time-lines in that area.
From another point of view; because it is marked Bitburg/Eifel doesn't indicate to me it was made there. I sooner think it might have been made elsewhere and to be sold in Bitburg as a novelty item. Possibly sold to tourists or even GI's stationed there.
I was stationed in Germany for a number of years and along the way bought items marked with different city names to bring home. None of the items I bought have the country of origin marking required by the Tariff Act because I purchased them in Europe where the marking isn't require, it only applies to items imported into the US. You may run up against a brick wall tracing this item.
I think fhrjr2 and I are pretty much on the same page.
Yes nutsabotas6 I searched Bitburg Germany endlessly without any leads.
Thank yall both RCassano & fhrjr2for your thoughts and great research RCassano. I will continue to search and hopefully find something.