If, like me, you are a bargain
hunter and love the thrill of the chase you may have pots that
were acquired from fairs, charity shops or boot sales that you
have been unable to identify. There are books such as British
Studio Potter's Marks which has helped me with a few pots
but I still have other well marked pots that remain a mystery.
I have started off this section with some pots that I would like
some help with so hopefully someone out there can provide some
information to put me out of my misery.
I will be updating this area of the web site in the near future
to allow you to add your own pots and questions directly. In the
meantime if you would like any help with your own unidentified
items please
and I will add your pot(s) to the list.
 
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From Daniel Bradbury -A smal salt glazed jug with makers mark. |
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| Fliss - This could be Rebecca Harvey. I can't download the photo of the mark so can't be sure. Could it be RH?
James H - Agreed 100% Rebecca Harvey - The photo does not open but I can make out an R and H from the thumbnail image - same marks as a couple of RH pots I have.
Ceramike - The image is now available, looks like you have identified the pot without it, well done! |
 
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From Rob Foster - This shallow dish about 7 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches deep has an interesting backstamp that so far I have not cracked. Looks like PT with an additional squiggle. |
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| rjh_63 - Hard to see mark, but if it has what looks like an M in between the P & the T (with or without a circular mark over it all) - probably Pauline Thompson, Ginge Brook Pottery, Berkshire. (page 615 of Godden's)
Rob Foster - Many thanks rjh_63 for info. It looks like the second of the two marks in Godden's. |
 
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From Chris Parker - An ovid vase with makers mark on the underside |
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From Moira Willis - A jug with a ship's decanter style. |
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From Andrew - A wheelthrown jug measuring 6 incles tall, tan slip to outside and yellow slip inside. Lead glazed with extensive crazing |
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From Lesley Sherratt - An unusual bowl with what looks like an MP mark |
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Front Grant Waters : I am new to collecting pots and for my first purchase bought this largish vase (about 8 inches high) from a deceased estate in London. I thought the mark - AH I think - would be readily identifiable but despite checking various sources I have had no luck. |
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| Simon Hancox - Hello, I think this may well be a Raku pot made by Andrew Hill.
Jen Shelley - Very like a Raku pot I have. Same mark,definately Andrew Hill
Fliss - I have a couple of Andrew's pots. I'm pretty sure it's his. |
 
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From : Kimberley Kroemer : An unusual teaset with a signed mark |
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From James Hazlewood : A stoneware bottle, bought recently at auction with a Mike Dodd bottle in same lot, unusual potters mark, does anyone recognise it? |
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From Mark Morris : Stoneware vase with mark on side |
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| Keramike - This has the look,and a somewhat similar shape,to Chinese ginger jars imported over the centuries - very provincial/coarse clay and basic firing with a rough glaze - it could well be a couple of hundred years old - I'd like to see the base.
The mark would sem to support the guess at a far east origin. |
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Stoneware cider flagon on plinth, no makers mark |
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| Mike - I am told that this is likely to be by Andrew Holden who sadly was killed in a car accident some time ago. |
 
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Stoneware jug, 30cm tall, 18cm wide with floral decoration. Purchased from a collector's market last year. The jug is marked PG near its base. I have shown it to both Paul Gardiner of Mevagissy Pottery and Paul Green of Cerne Abbas but both deny responsibility! |
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| Kaye Forsythe - Could it be Pat Groom of Winchcombe Pottery?
Kevin Graham - It looks like a Westerwalder region piece from Germany, Westwalder had over 80 potteries all producing near identical pottery |
 
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From Martin : Earthenware dish marked AC with anotehr impression like a capital D |
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From Anne Delnevo - I am wondering if anyone can identify the potter of this lidded pot? The initials seem very obviously “my” or “ny” |
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From Mark Morris : A press moulded slipware dishn with an unusual mark, does anyone recognise it? |
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| Martin - Looks like a Dieter Kunzemann. |
 
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From : James Hazlewood : A stoneware jug, the mark is difficult to photograph, looks like AP with an additional line. |
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| James H - Mike - I now think that this jug was made at Askrigg Pottery by Andrew Hague. That was the name I thought when I first saw the mark but the work looks so different to his other work that I have seen and handled. But as always (and as if often the case), I could be wrong. |
 
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From Trevor : An unusual shaped bowl with a clear wm(?) mark, the bowl is 114mm in dismater. |
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From Trevor : An impressive tenmoku bottle, 16.75 inches tall, no visible mark. Bought by auction in a lot that also included a David Leach and a Janet Leach. |
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From Rodolfo Frizzera : A handled vase |
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| Blake Awbrey - Dear Rodolfo, I believe your vase was made circa 1930 by the Carstens factory located in Georgenthal, Germany. Unfortunately, finding resources for the factory for this time period are difficult here in the U.S. It is my hope that someone in Germany and/or Europe will be able to help with further information.
Yours, Blake
Rodolfo - Blake, Thank you for your kindly answer and information.
LINDY - HI RODOLFO, TRY THIS BRILLANT WEB SITE FOR GERMAN POTTERY. www.ginforsodditiques.com IF YOU CANNOT SEE THE MARK EMAIL HIM. REGARDS LINDY |
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From Lynne : Wax resist pot with a mark that looks like PS |
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| unknown - its skeggness pottery
unknown - I think it may be Penny Simpson, Moretonhampstead, Devon.
Bry - Yep, definitely Skegness Pottery. Went out of business about 1983 if I remember correctly. |
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From Lynne : Lampbase marked S. Gooch on the base. |
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From Claire: is a dark greeny black speckled glaze with, on either side a dark painting of a bee or a drooping flower? The mark looks like an impressed PH or BH in a rectangle - the upper loop of the P or B looping through the H? |
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From Claire: A brown pink matt glaze on stoneware with quite pronounced horizontal throwing rings on the exterior and then wider vertical raised ridges. The mark is impressed and looks a bit like an upside down BJD? |
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From Neil Bottom;ey, bowl, 8 inches in diameter, impressed markings, marked with a symbol which may be the initials OT. Owen Thorpe? |
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| mike - Try Gerald/Gotlind Weigel
Neil - Still keep looking - not weigel checked with Gotlind herself. Thanks anyway |
 
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From Chloe, umarked pot with barley design, 4 inches high, 6 inches in diameter. |
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Shallow stoneware bowl, 28cm x 6.6cm, mark 99% obscured, wax resist decoration. |
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| James H - David Frith?? |
 
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Small pedestal bowl, beautifully made and glazed, 10.5cm x 6.5cm. Mark is a symbol which looks like a circle cut in half, could represent CD ? |
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| Richard Smith - I suspect this might be by the late Brian Paul Bearne at the Rainbow pottery in Torquay. Apparently he mainly made bowls. Depends where you found it of course!
Emma Lloyd-Jones - The bowl is made by David Lloyd-Jones - he used at least half a dozen marks and this is an early one - a stylised FP for Fulford Pottery where he worked. Later marks use his name, the last being L-J. |
 
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From Catherine Terre, Canada. Mug with carrot decoration and SH mark. |
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From Andrew Greenway. This slipware bowl is marked DK, could it be Dick Kendall, does anyone have any information on the bowl or the potter? |
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| Kevin Graham - It looks more like EW to me |
 
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From Steve Hunter - This bowl is 19 cms. in diameter and 7 cms. tall; the impressed mark is "EW" and there is a painted mark which might say HB? |
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| greg - hi, i have a very similar bowl with the same markings did you ever find out who it was?
Steve Hunter - Hi Greg, nope, I´m afraid I´m still waiting for some identification of this piece. Any one able to help? |
 
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From Julian Trott - Vase with EW or WE mark, any ideas anyone? |
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From Al Baynham, any ideas? |
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| Richard Smith - I have seen this mark identified but can't remember who it was. It regularly crops up as a Janet Leach attribution (obviously wrong!!).. If you turn it the other way up it becomes a TP - and I think those were the potters initials.
Wendy - It is a West German pottery, constantly listed on Ebay as Janet Leach
Fliss - This is Tolcarne pottery, no longer in existence. I sold one a few months ago on E-bay.
tom parry - Hallo, the previous correspondents are all on the right lines. The potter was Roger Veal who operated the Tolcarne Pottery in Newlyn. There is a little information about him onwww,studiopottery.com. He trained at Bath Art School anddid some teaching in Cornwall. This is one of the simpler forms which were, perhaps, aimed mostly at the tourist trade. He was mostly interested in more sculptural forms and the Carnsew Gallery in Hayle still has a very interesting stock of these. His wife is German and they have moved to Germany in his retirement. |
 
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From Myrna, a ginger jar with a GJG mark on its base. |
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| Nigel - I believe the pot is the work of Graham Glynn, possibly during his Skipton period (the middle initial is a 'P' rather than a 'J'). |
 
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From Uffe Jensen of Alingsas in Sweden - A vase with willow tree decoration. Uffe found the vase in a fleamarket in her home country but has been unable to identify the maker. |
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From John Schram of Newport Beach, California. John has considerable knowledge of American Art pottery but this pot has stumped him, can anyone help? |
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| Michael - Don't know, but it is beautiful! |
 
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From Barry Young who purchased this vase in Ontario twenty years ago but has been unable to identify the mark on its base. |
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| Paisley - If the markings are the initials SL, it is quite possible this is one of Simon Leach's pieces. It's just a guess though.
James H - Hi, just to advise that this isn't a Simon Leach. |
 
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From Bryan Langton : 1953 coronation mug with what appears to be marked VW? |
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| Mark - Margaret Leach did early work with a mark like the Vw car badge might be of interest |
 
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From Bryan Langton : Stoneware jug with a distinctive mark |
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Fromt Bryan Langton : Stoneware bowl marked TP on the base. |
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From Di Williams : vase. It is 33cm in height and is clearly impressed with a square potters mark T H |
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Temmoku glazed stoneware cider jar with pronounced throwing rings. 38cm tall, 26cm wide. Except for the rim, the underside is also glazed. Purchased from a collector's market a couple of years ago. There is a mark with might be an A inside a D stamped on a ball of clay at the base of the handle. This is a great piece and is one of my favourite pots. |
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| Joanna Bird - 99% sure this is a Danlami Aleju pot, probably made whilst he was at Wenford Bridge. |
 
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Earthenware vase, 26cm tall, 18cm wide. Brushed floral (?) decoration. Purchased from a collector's market earlier this year. There are two marks on opposite sides of the vase at its base, a makers monogram - fjw (?) and a bird which looks like a pelican. |
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| Chrissy - I myself am trying to find a name!! frustrating isnt it anyway when I looked at yours I think it may be Wren - I think initial is J - hope you have luck
Chrissy
adil - da
adil - salut tout le monde moi je cherche les clients les pices de ceramique
moi je travaille tout les pieces moi je ma' appelle adil j' ai un boutique a marrakech maroc voila mon email adil_ceramique_pottery@yahoo.fr
au tel 073255098
merci |
 
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From Jason in Australia: A shino glazed stoppered bottle |
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From William Hubicki of New York, who believes that this pot might be the work of Robert Washington, can you help William with identification? |
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| Paul Rice - In my opinion,certainly not by RJ Washington |
 
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This blue and white jug comes from Daniel Bradbury who has tried to identify the mark with no success. It looks like HL but if it is the potter put the mark on upside down! |
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| Richard Smith - Is this Suleyman Saba?
Sharon Campbell - Hi Richard, check out this website which has a fantastic data base for identifying marks
Good luck let me know if you find it...devinacambell@aol.com
http://www.potterymarks.co.uk/links.html
Suleyman Saba - Not my work. |
 
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From Jennie Sargent, planter with PM mark. Powdermills Pottery ? Jennie has a mug with the same design. |
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| Teresa Bettridge - I think this is the monogram of Mike Pratt - sorry, no other info.
Joss - This isn't a Powdermills pottery pot - Nic collins when he was here had a similar way of wrapping a P and M together as his mark, however, he NEVER decorated with trees.
James & Sam - I'm sorry that it doesn't help identify the item, but i also have an item by the same potter. It's very similar pattern but a different design. I'm happy to provide photos if required. I don't recall where it was purchased but the Mrs probably will. I also agree that I don't think its a powdermills pottery pot.
James & Sam - I've just seen a similar design for sale on Ebay, could it be made at Boscastle Pottery, Devon. They certainly look like they use the same process to decorate thier pottery.
liz - we visited boscastle recently and the potter said he was the only person to produce the tree effect
Mandi - I have had pottery like this and it was definately Boscastle and I think maybe Mocha ware or similar.
Mandi
dave and jackie - Yes, this is most definately from Boscastle Pottery, we have a frew of these piece and find them quite hard to get hold of. It is the unique style of fine airbrushed branchwork that caught our eye originally. Nice piece.
wiil - hi it isnt airbrush ed it is a method of decorating using something strange like tobacco that makes the glaze crawl in treelike forms, willm update after a little research and boscastle rings a bell
will - http://www.cornishceramics.com/pcamelot.htm
Oliver - This doesn`t look too much like the Boscastle work where the mocha effect usually appears done direct onto clay rather than into white glaze - the initials would surely fit the Mocha Pottery at Cinderford better - see www.mochapottery.co.uk |
 
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Frank Gricus of Pittsburgh purchased this pot in the U.K. in 2005, it is 21cm tall and 12cm at its widest. Can anyone decifer the maker's details? |
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| Ann Bristow - Mark says Lemon & Son 504 Weston-S-Mare.Wesuma Pottery. In 1926 Tom Lemon bought a pottery in Weston- super-Mare. He first produced Torquay type pottery but later produced his own designs. He died in 1941 and the pottery was destroyed by a bomb in 1942.
Anna - Hi sorry to bother you! um....may I ask one question? Are you Frank Gricus who have been to Taiwan?
Frank - Yes, I did spend 8 months in Taipei from July 2001 to February 2002. I was training project managers for a US software company. The same company brought me to the UK where I have lived off and on since then. Email me at sno.problem@btinternet.com
TOM THOMPSON - SIMILAR ITEMS ARE ON E BAY. iHAVE ONE SAME SIZE NO 386. IT IS THE WESTON SUPER MARE ALSO KNOWN AS WE- SU-MA WESUMA. DESCRIBED CORRECTLY BY AB |
 
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From Robert Foster, Norfolk - This plate is marked Blanchard and a another word which is probably where it was made. Can anyone decifer the word? |
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| Jean Larrouy, France - The name is actually "Blanchard". This potter worked at KERALUC, in Quimper, France. Quite rare ! |
 
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From Mike Peckett: An earthenware teapot marked LD |
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From Jason in Australia : A slip decorated jug with a mark that looks like two hammers? |
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From Jason in Australia: A small bottle, mark seems to be OR or DR with the D and R back to back. |
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From Rob : A slipware puzzle jug. Ros has three pots from this maker, all from the Newcastle area. |
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From Mark Nutall: A blue earthenware dish with a good set of marks, is it Taena? |
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| Wendy - This mark keeps cropping up on Ebay and is stumping everyone- several have claimed Sid Tustin at Taena but I certainly have no knowledge of Sid ever being at Taena and it isn't much like any of his ST marks either.
James H - Also the Taena mark that is documented appears within a circle rather than a square! Having said that, there are plenty of marks that are not documented. I think it is more than likely a Taena.
I have called the pottery before and found them to be very friendly and helpful. I am sure they would be happy to take a look at some images etc and confirm or deny!
mark N - I now have the dish feel it could be margaret leaches mark with another potter however margarets mark is usually in a circle I am to further research
mark N - confimed on contacting Taena as not potted there possible Llagollen |
 
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From Mark Nutall: Small dish and bowl with an LL mark, Lyn Lovitt back in the 1980s? |
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| Mark N - it has been confirmed by lyn lovett herself the pots are not her work after contacting her by email |
 
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From Simon Willcocks - This fine slipware jug is 23cm tall, made from rough red clay and unfortunately unmarked, any suggestions? |
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| DebraRay - Looks a little like Michael Cardew's glazing or an influence of his work in Nigeria except the handle, no thumb knot, not all of his jugs had them but many did. Is the handle smoothed dwn in "Chinese Whiskers" in the back, or a mooshing of the thumbs as Mick Casson puts it? I have seen many of Cardew's pots (Pioneer Pottery) that seem like they have a stamp though. Listen to the interviews with Mick Casson, he said he, himself stopped putting marks on things, because if something happened to the mark,if glaze ran on to it or it wasn't very clear, people were less likely to buy his pots, he felt that this was an undue prejudice. If one liked a pot they should buy the pot on it's merits not on the mark it's self. Might be the case here, or just that many old world potters didn't feel their wrk was worthy of a marks. Sorry so long, good luck!
DebraRay - Try this web site for Philip Leach, I don't know how or if, they sign their pots but glaze and styles look very similar? www.springfield-pottery.com
simon willcocks - Debra - Thanks for your help. I have only just found the Springfield site and I agree that the work does look very similar but my pot looks much older(40-60 years?)than those shown by Philip Leach. I guess that Philip Leach may be able to help but I have been unable to contact him by e-mail. Regards Simon
zoe - Looks like a Clive Bowen , Sheepwash, Devon
simon - Whilst it is similar in some respects, I would be very surprised. I have several contemporary pieces by Bowen and they differ in feel and look to this jug, which also has some age to it. Also, this jug has 'dragged' marking whereas Bowen's marks are applied by brush. Thanks anyway!
tom parry - I have some similar pottery which I showed to Clive Bowen who identified a jug as lekiely to have been made by Philip Leach when they were working together at Sheepwash. He did not recognise the clay in the other pieces. I now suspect that they were made at Callander in Scotland by Peter Luti from seeing pots advertised on ebay.
Peter Luti - Sorry but this is not one of mine - only made a few slipware items at Goldsmiths, London in 1970. Am still on the lookout to buy back any stoneware that I made 1971 to around 1988!
mike - Try Winchcombe pottery
Paul Jessop - - Hi some one asked me if it was one of mine, sadly not but it is lovely.
Bry - Could Alan Frewin be a possibility, the glaze, decoration and clay colour are very much like his. |
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