Pottery Marks Explained

Pottery marks sometimes can seem like a frighteningly huge subject to tackle, but never fear, your friendly online guide is here to help you through this maze of china marks!

On this page there is a quick (OK, fairly quick) run-through of the basics of mark identification (it tells you how to look for clues to how these sometimes mad hieroglyphics work).

Then, if you still need individual help with identifying your wares, go to my pottery marks identification help page.

....But remember, this website is world famous for its free public forum where we all help each other out on our pottery mark queries. There is nothing else like it online and it is very popular with Google because of it.

This is our 'snowballing' resource where, the more we all contribute together, the more Google sees us and lists us higher and so more of us get involved and the knowledge base gradually expands....


Interesting eh? This is how the world works in the 21st century. We have invented the 'social media' for identifying pottery marks. You (the site visitors) invented this system, not me. I just went along with it and facilitated somewhere for us to store our knowledge! Thank you all.

But What About Value?

Now, we had to separate out the 'valuation' aspects from the identification forums because they started to get messy and go off topic. Identification is one thing, valuations are quite another. Appraisals need an expert impartial eye with no question of a vested interest creeping in.

So for valuation requests (and that covers a lot of people) we had to invent a quicker (paid for) service - the best online (I would say that because I run it - but it's true).

But Is My Stuff Worth Valuing?

For those not sure whether their items are worth the appraisal fee, I wrote a couple of different pages suggesting how you might do a bit of research on the value yourself first. You might have some fun with my free 'ready-reckoner price calculator'. I designed it in order to give you an idea of where your item might fit into a price range.

I also wrote a page giving a run-down of how you might use ebay and other resources to gauge the value of your stuff.

Also, at some point, you may want to go and have a quick look at this page:- Discovering the Value of Antiques. which mentions good places both online and offline I often use to research items.

Where Can I find This Pottery Mark Identification Forum?

You can browse the free pottery mark forums by scrolling down to the bottom of THIS PAGE and looking through the titles. Basically, the forums are comments and queries uploaded by you, the site visitors. There are many different forums on this website, but they are all situated at the bottom of the main pages like this one (the Pottery Marks section).

Otherwise, a quicker way is to use the site search box (on the top right column of every page) and trying a few different keyword searches.

pottery trade marks

If you have some china items with a mystery pottery marking you wish to identify, simply use the search box top right to see what information is already on the site.

A typical search phrase might be something like "k and crown".

On the lower parts of this pottery marks page, you will find a section where visitors have posted queries on the 'Public Forum' of this site. If I know the answer I will publish the reply completely FREE.

General Rules of Pottery Marks


First you need to know some general rules that apply to identifying china marks.

Example: if you are looking at pottery marks in the US, after 1890 all china and porcelain marks had country of origin shown on all imported goods. A 'made in England' backstamp, therefore would indicate a 20th Century date to comply with the new 'country of origin' act.

Look For the Pottery Mark Clues!

pottery marks various
Printed marks incorporating the British Royal Arms indicate a 19th century date or later.

If the name of the pattern is included on the backstamp of an English china mark, it has to be after 1810.

Use of the word 'Royal' denotes a date after the 1850's and the words 'bone china' on a pottery mark means that the ware must be of the 20th Century.

The famous Staffordshire knot only occurs after 1845 and was used most prolifically from 1870 to 1890. A diamond shaped registration mark occurs only after 1843.

The trade-marks act came in in 1862 so therefore incorporation of the words 'Trade Mark' in a mark must be later - normally after 1875. Similarly, the word 'Limited', or 'Ltd' denotes a date after 1861.

The abbreviation 'R N' (for Registered Number) followed by numerals means a date subsequent to 1883.

All these tips are what pottery mark experts use as clues to identify the age of ceramic wares.


U.S China makers were much more loose on marking their wares with pottery marks to begin with. Wedgwood of England were the forerunners in systematically marking their china wares in the early 1800's.

The US makers began to follow suit eventually, bearing in mind many of the American wares started off as utilitarian in nature, only gradually becoming more and more decorative and ornate, culminating in the fabulous and award winning bone china of Knowles Taylor Knowles. American art pottery is also a very collectible area.

Lennox, Haviland, Gorham and Franciscan, to name but a few, are other American china makers with a fine pedigree and names to look out for.

Important American China Makers Backstamps

Some general guidelines for Lennox would be to look out for a green wreath pottery mark. This marking was used on wares between 1906 and 1930. 'Made in USA' was added in 1931.

This ceramic mark continued to be used until 1953 when the green color was changed to a gold. The gold wreath continues until present production.

To understand Haviland marks, you first have to understand the various Haviland companies who were entwined in a morass of competition, merger and re-merger.

On this site there is a special Haviland Dinnerware page which enlightens this subject and is reviewed for accuracy by one of the leading Haviland experts in the US.

Use my page alongside the Haviland ceramics marks page of china antique site 'China Collectibles' in order to get a feeling for the Haviland pottery markings.

I also admire the artistry of Franciscan Pottery (see my listing here) and have found a fascinating website "Franciscan Marks Brochure (1962)" which has published a 1962 marks catalog from the Franciscan archives - showing 20 pages of just about every trade-mark or backstamp Franciscan ever used.

Great European Porcelain

sevres porcelain marks The great European porcelain makers however, like Meissen and Sevres, did mark their wares from the very beginning (1710). The European porcelain marks were characterized by a hand painted symbol or initials.

The crossed swords of Meissen are taken from the coat of arms of Saxony. The 'latinized' double 'L' pottery markings of Sevres were taken from their patron French King Louis XV.

These European hand-painted markings can be more of a disadvantage than an advantage in identifying porcealin marks due to the fact that they are so easily copied.

Valuable Forgeries

However, remember this quirky fact - some of the forgeries and fakes, especially the older wares are highly prized collectibles in their own right and very valuable.

Look out particularly for the examples of Emile Samson's copies of Worcester, Meissen and Chelsea, made in the 1800's. There are also many French hard-paste reproductions of early soft-paste Sevres.

Similarly, in Dresden they are adept at making replicas of early Meissen - all signed with pottery markings made to look suspiciously similar to those of the true originals.

Valuing Your China Wares

pottery marks - stack It may well be that you have a set of marks you need to identify for valuation purposes and you need further help.

For a full explanation of all the resources on this site go here:-

Value of Antiques & Vintage China - Identification Help Page

In reality, there are two jobs to do if you seriously need to value your china set, both of which this website will help you with:

The first is to identify the specific pottery mark and once that is done, the second job is to get an idea of the value.

If you are having trouble identifying a specific makers mark, scroll to the bottom of the page and look to see if it is already one of the marks queries by subscribers to the Newsletter see here).

The China Manufacturers A to Z guide here on this site should give you the information you need about most notable makers. If you can't find a listing on your wares, check with the site search box at the top of this or the homepage.

Summary

Handwritten symbols and initials are more than likely European porcelain (valuable!). No markings on plain old looking utilitarian looking wares can mean old (valuable!). Lack of the words 'Royal' and 'Bone China' on English famous makers wares can suggest very old (very valuable).

More on IDENTIFYING POTTERY & PORCELAIN MARKS

CHINA PATTERN IDENTIFICATION ....more

Return from Pottery Marks to Homepage


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