N Below Crown Pottery Marking

by Joe Hedl
(Marshall, TX USA)

N Below Crown Pottery Marking:- I have 3 pieces with this mark. Can anyone identify?

Would be grateful for your help.

Thank you,

Joe Hedl

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N Below Crown Pottery Marking

Hi Joe

Thanks for re-sending the mark photo which I have now added. We do need both pottery mark and a photo of the item to be of any help.

To summarise, these wares are modern Italian hand-painted majolica. This is typical of regional Italian ceramic kitchenware which you can see in any town produced by local small ceramicists.

The difference is the marking. This 'N' with a crown type of mark is an interesting area which I try to cover well within these public forums. It is a complex issue covering a type of wares which collectors tend to call 'Capodimonte', or 'Capo' for short.

This particular mark is the exact style of the Ginori type of Capodimonte N mark first used in 1835.

But that doesn't mean to say these wares are Ginori as the trademark laws in Italy for the N mark seem to be all over the place with many different makers using all sorts of N mark variations seemingly with impunity. I don't thinks these can be classified as fakes or reproductions, it's just that the whole marking thing seems to be a free-for-all with regard to the Capodimonte N coronet/crown pottery mark.

Because, of course Ginori aquired the N mark from the original Naples Royal factory some time in the early 1800's. What happened subsequently seemed to open up the Naples mark for all and sundry to use. I am still trying to get to the bottom of exactly why this is so.

If you have any further information, please post below in the comments section.

The story overall is the 'N' is the mark of Naples porcelain making. The original Naples ware is high quality, rare and are now mostly in museums and important collections.

The Ginori Doccia porcelain factory took over certain moulds, marks and wares from the Royal Naples factory in the early 1800's when it was sacked and more of less destroyed in the Napoleonic wars of the period.

The region developed a style which became known as Capodimonte, or Capo de Monti. It seems to me that modern Capodimonte is not a factory as such, and no longer restricted to Ginori, but an Italian baroque style which a series of factories have used.


Your mark, as I say is that of the style Ginori introduced in 1835, and they still use it in modern times, but as far as I know they either put the name 'Ginori' below the N mark, or replace the N with the capital letter 'G'.

So your wares must be what is known as ‘Capodimonte Nuovo’ which translates simply as 'New Capodimonte'. Not a maker but a generally convenient and advantageous marketing label with seemingly no protected trade rights, it seems to me (please correct me if I am wrong).

To add to the confusion, German makers, particularly from the region of Thuringia used the N mark of Naples for their export wares, but I am not sure why they did this. If anyone knows, please add a comment below.

These German marks were virtually indistinguishable between the factories, although experts and make educated guesses as to which mark is which based on the exact styling of the wares.

The fact is, all great original European porcelain houses spawned a tradition of followers who paid homage to their marks by impersonating them. Naples, Meissen and Vienna are three of the most notable examples.

With regard to your mark, a further confusion is Far East makers of the 20th Century got in with the act and began to impersonate European marks.

For example, the oval shapes above the 'N' which form the spray of the crown in your case, is very characteristic of Far East makers.

The difference is normally shown in the quality. Far East wares will have a general lack of quality. Italian ware will be made of plain earthenware and therefore chip easily, but will be decorated nicely (as yours). German ware will have a very distinctive Germanic look (which yours do not have).

If I had to choose, I would say yours was Italian kitchenalia mid to late 20th Century from an undefined maker paying homage to the 'N' mark of Naples. That would be a guess, but if a more knowledgeable contributors can try to help out, that would be great (check out the comments section below for replies).

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.

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