The Delft factories had a special way of registering their marks, and the factory names which were registered are often misspelled. There is some confusion in any reference containing Delft marks. The successor company, if it is still in business, is listed at the bottom of the mark caption. The information was often sketchy and sometimes conflicting. If “Terry and Son” had bought “Ralph Ltd.,” the new company would be dated from 1840. If the new firm took the name “Great Pottery, Inc.,” it would then be listed as dating from 1820. This company bought “Terry and Son,” a company started in 1840. For example, the mythical company of “Ralph Ltd.” was founded in 1820. Two companies frequently merged into one and the mark was used for the new company so it is dated back to the oldest company with a direct relationship to the mark. Most of the time they are from the first year that any predecessor company worked until the last year any successor company worked, provided that the name or management was continuous. The date could have been used at any time during the years on either side of 1895. “ca.1895” suggests a general time period. If it is a date such as “1895+,” it is not known how long after 1895 the mark was in use. “1895–1900” means the mark may have been used during those years.
Reading the mark’s date is relatively simple. If the initials in the mark were directly connected to the foreign name, it may have a more awkward translation. In some cases, it is an comfortable translation. When translated, several possible forms could have been used. Obviously, the original name of a German company was in German. There are many problems with company names. Some marks look like a circle, square, bird or animal shape, etc. Some marks are made up of letters listed in alphabetical order. This will help you identify the mark.Īntique marks are listed according to their shapes. Research and experience will tell you if the color, texture, weight, design, or general “feel” of the piece is right. This is a listing of the better-known marks and backstamps and enough information so that you can learn more about your porcelains. Every collector knows that the quickest way to identify a piece of pottery or porcelain is to identify the mark, but sometimes it’s unreliable because marks are often forged and changed.
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