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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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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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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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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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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Fromt 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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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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From Julian Trott - Vase with EW or WE mark, any ideas anyone? |
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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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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. |
 
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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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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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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 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 |
 
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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 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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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 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! |
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