Luxurious porcelain dessert plate painted with cobalt and platinum – Rudolf Kampf

Exceptional design combined with the highest quality materials showcases the craftsmanship of Rudolf Kämpf manufactory. It is a tribute to true porcelain, which has fascinated and inspired a love for beautiful objects for centuries.

The Czech porcelain manufactory Rudolf Kämpf has been producing high-quality hard porcelain for over 100 years, which differs significantly from bone china, currently produced by many European companies. Notable features include durability, heat and acid resistance, impermeability, transparency, and the ringing sound. Another distinctive trait of Rudolf Kämpf’s factory is its commitment to handcrafted production. While most manufacturers rely on automation today, Rudolf Kämpf porcelain is made by hand to ensure superior quality. Rudolf Kämpf is the only factory in the Czech Republic where porcelain is handcrafted. This also grants exclusivity to its products. The manufactory typically produces limited series or unique pieces. Surely, you will agree that such an approach guarantees high collectible value for porcelain products.

Rudolf Kämpf believes that his greatest asset is the team of highly skilled experts. Thanks to talented masters, the Rudolf Kämpf brand confidently explores creative experimentation, seamlessly transitioning from Romanesque style through Art Deco to Futurism. Therefore, Rudolf Kämpf’s production is not only refined but also distinctive.

It is no coincidence that Rudolf Kämpf porcelain products attract the attention of celebrities. The brand is proud that its clients include not only prominent figures from Russian-speaking countries but also fashion designer Pierre Cardin and many others. Rudolf Kämpf’s luxury products are often given as gifts to high-ranking individuals. For example, exclusive presentation vases from Rudolf Kämpf have been dedicated to notable personalities such as U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton (1994), Czech President Václav Havel (1996), King Harald V of Norway (1997), and Pope John Paul II (1998). One handcrafted vase depicting Napoleon Bonaparte was gifted by Rudolf Kämpf in 2008 to the Museum of the Army in Paris.

Since Rudolf Kämpf’s concept encompasses not only exclusive porcelain sets, vases, and other interior accessories but also more affordable products, the manufactory operates under various brands, namely:

Rudolf Kämpf - luxury handcrafted porcelain

LEANDER - high-quality porcelain produced both by hand and industrially for everyday use

Leander-fresh - high-quality porcelain handcrafted and industrially produced with a focus on modern contemporary design

Custom-made production - Design your own collection

The second hallmark of the brand is custom projects for individual clients. Rudolf Kämpf’s porcelain factory can realize any demanding design, including creating one-of-a-kind collections, with the client obtaining rights to the collection for 50 years or more. Owning an exclusive, custom-made porcelain collection is a luxury in itself. If the piece bears a logo, monogram, or family crest, it also signifies a special status. For this reason, business and political leaders, celebrities, and even monarchs from around the world often turn to Rudolf Kämpf.

After commissioning such a unique porcelain piece, the client receives a factory certificate guaranteeing that this item will never be made for anyone else. These exclusive items can complement a table setting or serve as refined interior decor. Porcelain from Rudolf Kämpf, crafted according to a special design and marked with a gift or monogram, can also make an elegant gift for a loved one. If you have any questions about exclusive individual porcelain pieces, logo items, heraldic symbols, or gift inscriptions, please contact us.

History

The Czech village of Loučky (until 1918 - Grünlas, since 1961 part of the town Nové Sedlo), home to the Rudolf Kämpf porcelain factory, is located in the heart of the Karlovy Vary region. The tradition of porcelain production developed in this area thanks to deposits of high-quality kaolin. Rudolf Kämpf's porcelain factory, with its over 100-year history, is part of this tradition.

In 1907, American Benjamin Franklin Hunt obtained permission to build a porcelain factory. In 1909, the porcelain factory was sold to two Rudolfs—Dieterlow and Kämpf—who in 1911 established the company Porzellanfabrik Rudolf Kämpf G.m.b.H., Grünlas, and chose a crown with three letters RGK (Rudolf - Grünlas - Kämpf). This marked the creation of a factory producing first-class porcelain tableware and hand-painted porcelain accessories. Thanks to its exceptional location, the factory had access to high-quality raw materials and the ability to export its porcelain products. The manufacturing technology of porcelain at that time was certainly different from previous methods (raw materials were transported by horse-drawn wagons, trains, etc.), but its quality was already excellent, so products from Czech porcelain under the Rudolf Kämpf brand began to be exported to countries renowned for porcelain, such as Germany, France, Hungary, and England.

Rudolf Kämpf died in 1918, and his share was divided among his widow Josefine Kämpf, daughter Antonia Kümmelmenn, and son Hans Kämpf, who took over the family business. In the 1920s, Rudolf Kämpf's porcelain factory experienced a true boom: production reached over 2 million items annually, with about 85% exported. The company was one of the first to introduce new color ranges, including pink, blue, green, and ivory.

World War II led to a gradual reorientation of the factory towards Germany and the loss of other foreign clients. After the war, Rudolf Kämpf's porcelain factory was nationalized and became part of the Czechoslovak state enterprise Slavkovský porcelán, later incorporated into the state enterprise Karlovarský porcelán. In the same year, the company had the honor of representing Czechoslovakia's porcelain industry at the World Fair in Montreal, Canada. This incredible international success attracted investments, which allowed the factory to acquire the latest equipment. It was then that Rudolf Kämpf's factory began producing the famous sets made from Mary Anne (Jiří Laštovička) and Sabin (Aleš Trpkoš) molds.

In 1992, Rudolf Kämpf's porcelain factory was acquired by the Czech company Leander 1946 s.r.o., which operated under the name Leander. The Leander porcelain manufactory gained worldwide recognition as a producer of decorative porcelain, often hand-painted and adorned with gemstones. Since 2006, the company has been owned by the Czech holding CS Investment, which restored the factory's name to that of its founder—Rudolf Kämpf.

Manufacturer information