What do letters mean on pottery?
Have you ever wondered what those marks on the underside of your pottery mean? Well, these letters and symbols that are usually found on a piece of vintage or antique pottery are like a signature. In other words, the manufacturer's logo provides information about the porcelain's origins, age, and value.
Look for a pattern name or number. Most pottery marks consist of the manufacturer's name in some way, plus a design and/or porcelain trademark. Sometimes there is also an indication of a pattern, but on many items, these are replaced by a pattern name or number.
B is for biscuit
'Biscuit' comes from the French 'bis-cuite', meaning 'twice baked', although the term is most commonly used for unglazed wares that have had only a single firing. This is because the first 'baking' implied in its original usage would have been to fuse raw materials, not for firing the shaped ware.
Hanley Porcelain Co. Hanley. c.1892-9.
What is ArchAIDE? Every day, archaeologists from around the world have to recognise and classify thousands of ceramic fragments. With ArchAIDE, a tablet or a smartphone can be used to take a photo of a ceramic fragment, and to enter basic textual information.
- Guangxu Mark – named after the Guangxu Emperor. Found on porcelain pieces from the late 19th century.
- Ming Dynasty Mark – four or six blue underglaze characters. ...
- Qing Dynasty Mark – intricate floral designs and symbols. ...
- Kangxi Mark – six-character reign mark.
After establishing the material and technique used to create the piece, the three best ways to identify an antique are by establishing its shape, decoration, glaze and most importantly of all, its markings. These will usually give a rough indication as to the time period and place of production.
There are three commonly accepted types of pottery, including earthenware, porcelain and stoneware.
Conclusion. Now you know about the 4 main types of clay for pottery: Porcelain, earthenware, stoneware, and ball clay. Want to know even more about clay? Check out our article on everything you need to know about pottery clay.
Rudolstadt Mark: Porcelain made by the Volkstedt Rudolstadt factory has a crown above the 'R' initial.
Is McCoy pottery worth anything?
Today, McCoy pottery is highly collectible, and pieces can fetch high prices at auction. Values can range from ten dollars to thousands.
Find The Pattern
Genuine Bone china has a three to four number series. The codes identify the product. Check the design and year on the manufacturer's website to assess the worth of fine the bone china. Look for gold edges and floral/leafy patterns.
Look for the mark
Genuine handmade Italian ceramics should have the name of the country and/or town of origin, and possibly the artist or the studio. Often there will be 'dipinto a mano' or 'dip. a mano' on the base, which means 'hand painted'.
Probably the easiest and best way to determine an accurate, current market price for your pottery is to lookup past auction results on eBay. In order for this to be an accurate assessment of the value of your piece you must find a similar example.
Chinese ceramics feature much brighter colours and have a fully transparent, shiny glaze (the result of firing at extremely high temperatures) which showcases the brightness of the colours. By comparison, Japanese pieces are heavier with a matte glaze and a more natural, 'earthy' palette.
Ceramics are solid articles that are produced from clay, mud, cement, or glass. Clay is the most common of all the ceramic minerals. Thus, the term ceramics is simply means making articles with clay. Ceramic materials are easily identified by the fact that they are brittle; that is, they can break or crack easily.
Arequipa Art Pottery
It operated between 1911 and 1918. Arequipa is collectible and popular today because the famous ceramicist Frederick Hurton Rhead briefly worked there and made some exceptional vases. Your typical Arequipa vase is worth a few hundred dollars. The best of the best can be worth closer to $10,000.
The most celebrated and recognized art form of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, Pueblo pottery is known around the world for its remarkable beauty and craftsmanship. It has been made in much the same way for over a thousand years, with every step of creation completed by hand.
The higher firing temperature also makes stoneware less porous than earthenware, making it more suitable for functional ware. The highest firing temperature clay is porcelain clay which is fired at temperatures between 2,400 and 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wedgwood. Wedgwood is a famous English pottery company that was founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood. Some valuable pottery marks from Wedgwood include the “WEDGWOOD” mark and the “Wedgwood & Bentley” mark, which was used on pieces that were made in collaboration with the famous English potter Thomas Bentley.
What are the numbers on old pottery?
The Registered Number, usually written as Rd on the piece of pottery, gives the date when that design was registered to prevent copying, but it could have been made at any time later than that date.
One of the main differences between ceramic and porcelain is the appearance. Ceramic is typically more rustic and natural in its look. The colors tend to be more vibrant and muted, and the texture of the material is usually rougher. Porcelain, on the other hand, is usually smoother and more refined.
Carry Out Research
The best place to research the monetary worth of your pottery is online. The internet has an enormous wealth of information concerning pottery and its value. If your item is relatively common, check past auctions of similar items on sites like eBay.
Porcelain marks are the fingerprints of antique china. Serving as both evidence of its origin, age, and often times, quality, the makers mark on a porcelain item is the first place many collectors look before making a purchase.
As of today, the highest grossing work of American pottery is a 25-gallon jar by enslaved African American potter Dave Drake. The jar sold for $1,560,000 in Crocker Farm's sale, besting an $800,000 record-holding result on a John Bartlam teapot in 2018.
