Posted 12 years ago
mikelv85
(1232 items)
So here's hoping I still have a good eye. This came from the Salvation Army thrift store. I really liked the way it looked but I'm not sure about it's age and make. Just a hunch thing again. The price was good enough to take the risk so I did. It's really a large somewhat bottom heavy piece that's 12" high and 9" across at the shoulders. It weighs like 2 1/2 - 3 lbs. ! It's a beautiful shiny olive green /gold blended glaze with pears (I think) and grapes in relief over a lattice and leaves type background. The thing that caught my eye was the bottom . It looks like an old unglazed bottom found on art pottery. The only mark is a little bluish dash in the center.Note:I recently noticed what appears to be 2 letters above the blue mark. I ran it through the photo editor and zoomed and enhanced it with the "relief" option. Sure looks like a W and an E or F to me. I've added the picture. I don't think it's an anomaly.The surrounding areas are smoother. Still would like to know the country and the maker. Any thoughts?? The outside glaze has a lot of crazing (age/thermal shock ). The inside is glazed white. It has spatters of the green glaze dripped inside. It looks like some McCoy or Weller majolica. I didn't see anything online exactly like it. The closest thing, at least color wise with relief designs was the early unmarked Victorian majolica or Brush/McCoy and Weller but nothing as big as this. I had someone tell me it was probably an Asian made decorator piece. Not old or valuable. I really don't think so. My thought is it's either American / European and somewhere between Victorian and early 20th century. That's a broad time frame I know...lol. If not, it's still a beautiful piece -Mike-
Possibly Nathusius of Prussia, Germany. Here a link to the marks, but they're hard to see. The marks 4antiques site has him using that mark between 1826-60. It's a possibility.
http://www.myheimat.de/magdeburg/kultur/porzellanmarken-nathusius-porzellanfabrik-in-althaldensleben-1826-n-1847-d336562.html
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for the link ! So you don't think it's a modern decorator piece (cheap) like some else told me ?? If so that's very encouraging. I was looking at McCoy and Weller majolica images last night and while similar (every company seems to make a line of this) there's just nothing like it. So that little blue dash could be a makers mark ! So simple yet I never would have thought of that until you suggested it. I figured it meant something and was there for a reason but had no clue. That makes it really old. I was thinking Victorian or early 1900's myself. Thanks again - Mike-
Well, there are almost no pictures of anything Nathusius made. The ones they do have are small figurines,pipe bowls and porcelain plates and cups. Nothing big like my vase and definitely no majolica pieces. Searches turn up even less plus it's all in German. So it's back to square one I guess. Any other suggestion ?? Thanks -Mike-
I would say that the cheaper decorator pieces usually don't have the weight to them, but I don't know. Here's a link that I use to help identify pottery. It really is geared towards American pottery, but take a look
http://www.cajunc.com/art-american-pottery
I like that site too. I have it book marked. My guess here is like you said maybe European or could be American stoneware. It has the look of age and it's bottom heavy which is typical of American stoneware. Import stuff is usually thinner and lighter.I did notice a bit of a seam at the top as well. The glaze is crazed so that means it has some age to it.I don't believe it's faked. The bottom looks like any other unglazed stoneware bottom by Rookwood, Brush/McCoy. or Weller etc. My thought is late Victorian or early 20th century American or European. -Mike-
Found what appear to be 2 letters on the bottom. They look like a W E or W F just above the blue dash mark. I thought I was seeing things until I enhanced them with the photo editor . Hoping this will help with the maker and country ID. -Mike-
When you start using Photoshop etc. to enlarge and sharpen ie., all of the imperfections start looking like marks and letters, I hope you have found a clue, I find it frustrating when I try.
Hi Russ,
The reason I looked at it that close is it can be seen with the naked eye. If you look at the entire bottom it stands out from the rest of the surface as being stamped but faintly. I just reversed it to "relief" to see if it still looked the same and it did. Could be anything, but something is definitely there. The folks on Ebay keep telling me it's Asian and recent. Just call me doubting Thomas. I have yet to have them prove their claims with any hard evidence . I have not found anything that looks like it Asian or otherwise. Weller's "Marvo" does kind of, but no grape designs, mostly foliage. McCoy has a grape pattern but it's not on anything this large. The search goes on ! -Mike- :)
It's your determination that you will find to be your best ally in the quest. Keep going, and I will also be thinking about this as others, I'm sure :)
I realize this was 6 years ago, but did you ever find out more about this majolica? I have one as well! It doesn't have a blue mark but something else in the middle I can't quite make out.