GKBCO Pottery Mark Query

by Laycie
(Hawaii)

GKBCO Pottery Mark Query:- Aloha, I have uncovered a tea set with the marking gk b co on the bottom (in a cross using 'b' as a middle letter). Could you please share with me any information you have about this particular marking, as I can't seem to find ANYTHING online regarding this particular company or marking. Thanks so much.

Mahalo,

Laycie

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Reply by Peter (admin)


Dear Laycie

Aloha! To you too.

Not being an oriental porcelain expert, my best guess is the GKBCO pottery mark is an oriental trade mark rather than European. My guess would be Nippon - Japanese. I think the wares would be hand-painted, which makes them interesting in any case, but definitely made for the export dollar.

The GKBCO china mark on the bottom is possibly not the makers mark, but a merchant's distribution backstamp.

I am not sure of the exact history of GKBCO, but I am told they were known to have been on the market since the 1920's through to the 1940's, after that I don't know.

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{edit Jan 12. I have been doing some more thinking
about this particular pottery mark and have found some other examples stamped on Japanese 'Dragon Ware'. This is on 'made for export' Satsuma style tea sets from Japan from around the 1920 - 30 period.

There is, by co-incidence, a mark with the same letters which says G.K.B. Co. Bavaria. Sometimes this mark is shown with a royal crown device. Although this may be a good clue, I can find virtually no information on either this Bavarian mark or the Japanese one - nothing in my books or online. I have access to information which lists virtually all Bavarian makers, so going back to my theory about the mark being that of a merchant's backstamp, I came up with the theory the Bavarian G.K.B. Co. wares mark (not the Japanese one) might be that of the GKB German railway - china services for their restaurant cars. Known as GKB now, does anyone know if this railway company was once known as 'GKB Co' once? end edit}

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Meantime, keep searching for GKB CO (Bavaria) and the Japanese GKBCO above and report back here please.

Hope this helps,

Best regards,

Peter (admin)

p.s. The following page is a 'must see' if you are researching fine china - for value and identification:-

Researching the identity and value of antique and vintage fine china.