Pottery Mark Query IPC (I P C) Initials inside iron cross symbol with 'Beau Vitreous' Above

by Kathy
(Ohio)

Pottery Mark Query IPC (I P C) Initials inside iron cross symbol with 'Beau Vitreous' Above:- I have a pitcher/basin which I suspect is 200+ years old with markings on the bottom that look like "Beau Vittleous Porcelain." There are initials and dots inside the symbol. The initials are IPC with the P larger than the other two letters.

Kathy

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Peter (admin) says:-

200 years old? - highly unlikely (1811?). Early 20th century likely, so 100 years old maybe. This would be a small obscure European or American maker even a post war Japanese importer trying to look the part. It looks German because of the iron cross, but the words are in English, not German.

That's my twopenneth, based on an extensive advanced search online for a maker called IPC - which revealed only a couple of other items with this mark on, making this a very obscure maker. Neither listing had any clue at all as to who this maker was. My own searches in my encyclopaedias came up with nothing either - but they are general European books rather than being specialist in any one area and likely exclude very small obscure makers, either European or American.

It would be great to have a knowledgeable contributor solve this mystery for us.

I suspect there is someone out there who knows who this mark belongs to and as this page is sure to be found on Google for the keywords, and therefore, I am confident of getting an answer to this pottery mark query soon.

For general free advice on how to research your collection, I wrote this page:

value of antiques.

My vintage and antique china values page

Peter (admin)

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Pottery Mark Query IPC (I P C) Initials inside iron cross symbol with 'Beau Vitreous' Above

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makers mark
by: Rick

This washstand set was made by
Burgess and Campbell International Pottery Company
Trenton NJ
established 1860

I was fortunate to pick up a 5 piece set at auction this past weekend.

November 15 2011

value of IPC bowl&pitcher w/soapdish and shaving cup?
by: Barb

I just received a gift of a lovely bowl and pitcher set with this mark...was wondering what value range is appropriate for this item. Good condition...a little fading inside bowl. I love it...very lovely.

Beau Vitreous ?
by: Anonymous

You have not read the mark properly which is why you had trouble identifying it. It reads, "Semi-Vitreous I P Co. Porcelain". It is from the International Pottery Co. of Trenton N.J. and this was one of the later marks they used until they closed in the 1930's.

IPC actually Reads "I.P. Co Semi-Vitreous"
by: Peter (admin)

Thanks to Barb and the last contributor for their information.

Great help in solving out mystery iron cross pottery mark saying IPC on the backstamp.

Now, my first task was try to find out a bit more about this company called the 'International Pottery Company' of Trenton NJ - also known according to Barb as the 'Burgess and Campbell' International Pottery Company. Barb also tells us they were established in 1860.

As far as I could make out from reading the specialist website 'Potteries of Trenton', Burgess and Campbell bought a company called 'The Speeler Pottery Company' and promptly renamed it the International Pottery Co.

But according to a more detailed account in the Rootsweb.ancestry.com website the details were somewhat different in that a businessman called William Burgess, a professor of chemistry and son of the owner of a prosperous British pottery called Burgess & Goddard, had previously been in business with his brother and another partner called 'Campbell'. Burgess broke away from the Burgess and Campbell company to purchase the International Pottery Co from two sets of brothers called Moses and Clark. Burgess was president of this company 1879 - 1904. There is no mention of The Speeler Pottery Company in this very detailed account.

Apparently Burgess was a typical successful entrepreneur, with the type of dominating aura you would associate with the members of the business panel on the TV show 'Dragon's Den' (if you are familiar with that show).

He was president of the U.S. Manufacturing Potter’s Association, was chairman of the custom house investigating committee, U. S. consul to Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, appointed to the U.S. Tariff Commission and was the departmental head of the War Industries Board in the first world war.

So William Burgess was a stridently important man of his era. It's funny how sometimes these great names fade away and are virtually unheard of in this day and age (like Ridgway for example) and sometimes they continue to be household names (like Wedgwood, Spode, Lennox and Villery & Boch).

Anyway, uncovering these interesting stories is what this website is all about, so many thanks to the contributors

Apparently, The International Pottery Company specialised in "flow-blue" decoration which was a popular revival of the old Staffordshire methods of underglaze decoration in blue and white.

Peter (admin)

Another IPS mark.
by: Anonymous

I was looking for information about an IPS mark and came upon this site. My mark is slightly different as it has no other writing on it. It is written in red with leaves around the side and a kind of crown at the top. Has anyone any ideas? Tried to add a photo but couldn't.

IPC mark
by: Anonymous

I recently purchased a lovely round dessert platter or server with this mark. It is beautifully painted with two large purple thistles and gold around the edge of the plate and handles. It certainly appears Victorian and similar to other serving pieces I have seen from the late 1880's.

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Comment by Peter (admin)

Correct, IPC or 'The International Pottery Company' of Trenton NJ were established around 1860. See above article which explains.

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