Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark Query

by Ian
(Nashville, TN)

Captial Cursive 'A' pottery mark with 1762 date

Captial Cursive 'A' pottery mark with 1762 date

Captial Cursive 'A' pottery mark with 1762 date:- This figurine was purchased in Germany in the late 50's to early 60's. It may have been from an antique store and may be older than that, but don't know for sure. I have scoured google and maker mark forums but cannot seem to find this mark or anything like it.


Part of the problem is that it's hard to tell if the mark is a double cursive "G", "R", "P", "J" or combination of letters. Below the mark is "1768" or "1708". This figurine appears to be a second and has a horizontal line cut through the middle of the mark. There is another figurine with the same mark, but without the date below it.

Any help identifying this piece would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Ian

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reply by Peter (admin) below - just scroll down...

HOW I MADE MONEY FROM BITS & BOBS OF OLD CHINA

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Reply by Peter (admin)

To:- Captial Cursive 'A' pottery mark with 1762 date

Hi Ian

Thanks for sharing your photo of the Captial Cursive 'A' pottery mark with 1762 date (not 1708 or 1768).

It would have been great to see the actual item also. Remember, this public forum is for the benefit of all, acting as a valuable 'public record'.

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UPDATE 1
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Since this reply was written, I stumbled across this mark whilst looking for another query. The mark is that of a rather oddly named company called "Oldest Volkstedt Porcelain Factory" based in Thuringia, E. Germany. They have been manufacturing from 1760 to the present day and so may have some claim to the their odd title.

This particular mark was used by them between 1915 and 1981 - quite a long run, don't you think?

To my eye, this mark looks like it sets out to mirror the look of the various Russian Imperial Lomonosov 'A' (Alexander) marks. Not sure why they would do this though. Any suggestions? Perhaps it is co-incidence?

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Update 2
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Since UPDATE 1 (above), an expert china pottery mark identification appraisal has given us some great detailed info on this mark:-

"The history of this factory is a complex honeycomb of history dating back nearly 300 years.

Now known as Unterweißbacher Werkstätten für Porzellankunst G.m.b.H. (Unterweissbach Porcelain) the present day company is a conglomeration of a various firms all part of the rich history of the area of Thuringia, Germany.

Following a merger in 1937 between Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik
(The original Royal Volkstedt factory, with origins as far back as 1721) and Unterweissbach Porcelain (founded in 1882 by Herman Jost), the company used and still uses both the Aelteste brand and the Unterweissbach name - sometimes being referred to as the "Oldest Volkstedt Porcelain Factory". Your mark with the cursive capital 'A' was thought to be used with the added device of "1762" inder the 'A' mark after 1945 and without the 1762 device from 1900 - 1936. The same mark with VEB after 1972 . More online information available at http://www.porzellanmanufaktur-volkstedt.com/ and http://www.porcelainsite.com/porcelain/marks/volkstedt_2.shtml and
http://www.porcelainmarksandmore.com/thuringia/unterweissbach_1/00.php

A few more details:-

In 1832 the Royal Volkstedt factory lost the privilege of excusivity which was first granted by the Royal Family of the Thuringia region in the 1760's. Production in that region pre-dates 1760, going back to 1721 (source:- http://www.porcelainsite.com/porcelain/hist_porc/hist_volk.shtml). Other Volkstedt porcelain factories would be after the date of 1832. 7 decades on in the 1860's, this original Volkstedt factory was under the ownership of Karl Ens and a man called Triebner. They traded under the name Triebner, Ens & Co and over the next few decades, due, in some part, to the work of Karl Ens' two sons, their product were to become highly regarded.

Over this period the records show this factory to have become known as the Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik (The Aelteste Volkstedt Porcelain Factory). The Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik merged in 1937 with Unterweissbach.

The company was known during this period as the 'Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanmanufatur und Porzellanfabrik Unterweißbach vormals Mann & Porzelius A.G. The factory enjoyed a good reputation at this point (Porzellanfabrik Unterweißbach 1936 until 1953), originally under the management of Karl Saar. The Great Depression of the 1930's, saw the high quality unreconciled with profit and turnover and much of the company went into the ownership of Heinz Schaubach.

Value varies from piece to piece."


As for valuations, as I keep saying, I can't do more than point you in the right direction with valuation appraisals because value of vintage and antique china is, like anything else, subject to the whims and fancies of fashion. What is 'in' one moment and fetching high prices, is 'out' the next.....and visa versa

It is actually quite easy to get a feel of the value of your wares yourself just by looking online in the right places. I tell you how on this vintage and antique china values page. You can also take the opportunity to liaise with experts on that page.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Peter (admin)

Comments for Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark Query

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Cut through the pottery mark
by: Anonymous

I think the cut through the mark means that its a second class ware, at least its like that here in Denmark with our royal porcelain.

Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark Query
by: Peter (admin)

I just had a thought that the mark looks something like the 'A' the Tzar Alexanders used on their Imperial Russian Porcelain (Lomonosov). I don't have any reference book on Russian marks which are a speciality in themselves. Try a bit of hunting down those lines.

Peter (admin)

Good Site to Check
by: Gwen

http://www.porcelainsite.com/porcelain/marks/volkstedt_2.shtml

Check out this site for help.

Gwen

Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark
by: Jennifer

I also have a piece with this mark. It also has the year 1962 stamped on it. It a brown bear sitting on a rock. Any info on this would be apprciated.

Ballerina with same mark
by: Ilka

I believe I have a small ballerina with the same mark. I was trying to identify it when I came across this post, and the picture of your mark is the closest I've seen to mine. My father bought this for me on a business trip to NYC in the early 60s. He doesn't recall where he bought it, but was out looking for something to bring home to me. I'm trying to submit a photo or two. I have more if someone would like to see more detail.

I think the left side of the mark under the crown is a combo F and G. Haven't been able to figure out the right side. The number under the mark looks like 4762. The imprinted mark below that looks like V20131. There are two other numbers: on the right is 32, and on the left is 2.

Any ideas?


error posting photos
by: Ilka

I tried to post two photos on my previous post and it didn't work. Can someone tell me how to do this? Thanks.

Please send your photos to me, thanks!
by: Peter

Hi Ilka

Please send your photos to me here (clearly mark them as for this thread "Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark" in the "German & Bohemia Marks" section.

peter@theclayartist.com

Apologies for having to do the photo-upload in this long-winded way, but spammers have ruined it for everyone else as they kept posting hundreds of fake entries. I am looking for a work-around to this problem for our loyal site visitors.

Best regards

Peter (admin).

R1762 mark
by: SuresellAnonymous

These figures were made as 200 year anniversary pieces from the Alteste (oldest) Volkstedt ( rudolstadt ) factory in 1962 hence 200 years since foundation.

Are these figures from the same factory?
by: Carole

Hi Peter,

I came across this thread "Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark" within this "German & Bohemia Marks" section on China Chat and thought that the mark seems quite similar to one I have been trying to track down.

I don’t know how old this thread is but I would appreciate it if you could post my photos and see if anyone also thinks this might be a Volkstedt mark and figurine. And yes, the mark is rather blurry — this is not a problem with the photo.

The figurine belonged to my grandmother who passed in 2002 at 95 years old, so it could be over 100 years old but I really don’t know.

Thanks so much for any information!

Carole Parker



possible-volkstedt-mark-01





possible-volkstedt-mark-02




Are these figures from the same factory?
by: Carole

Hi Peter,

I came across this thread "Small Crown Over Double "R" or "G" or "JR" Mark" within this "German & Bohemia Marks" section on China Chat and thought that the mark seems quite similar to one I have been trying to track down.

I don’t know how old this thread is but I would appreciate it if you could post my photos and see if anyone also thinks this might be a Volkstedt mark and figurine. And yes, the mark is rather blurry — this is not a problem with the photo.

The figurine belonged to my grandmother who passed in 2002 at 95 years old, so it could be over 100 years old but I really don’t know.

Thanks so much for any information!

Carole Parker



possible-volkstedt-mark-01





possible-volkstedt-mark-02




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Reply By Peter (admin)

Hi Carole

Thanks for your photos.

Just on appearance, this figure does appear to have a pedigree in terms of quality of sculpting and make. Hard to reproduce with more modern Far East and East German rip offs of this style of figure.

So therefore most likely to be a German pre WW2 antique.

I have found references to a scribbled version of this mark being attributed to the Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanfabrik factory between 1915 -1934. So yours appears to be in this envelope to my eye.

Hope this helps

Peter

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