GOUDA-DESIGN

Gouda - Bits and Bobs

Uncommon marks, backstamps, pictures of Gouda from various museums, early books and periodicals.

Something a bit different - lots more to come soon.

 

Plateelbakkerij GeWi.

GeWi was a small plateel factory in Gouda which started production around 1978 until closure in 1984. They produced some Gouda style and Jugendstil decors based on the Art Nouveau era. The actual name of the factory was J.B. Been Pottery and G.J. and W. Nijhuis. See items from our collection here.

Below examples of two marks. The left one has a butterfly or moth logo, the words Gouda, Jugendstil and Holland. On the other, a close up of the label reveals the word "GEWI" in a crown device and the words J.B. Been Pottery. The left hand mark is the one most commonly seen.


 

Here the factory logo and accompanying information from a catalogue. Basically it tells the buyer that - "on the base of every piece of GeWi plateel you will find marks that guarantee the authenticity of every piece".  

 

Other GEWI marks you may see.

Left circa 1980 - 1984.

 

Right circa 1978 - 1980.

 


 

Bergen - La Céramique Montoise.

In this particular example below we see a piece dated around 1925 to 1935 from the Bergen factory. Bergen, also known as the Belgium Pottery Company or Bergen and Flamand (La Céramique Montoise) had a factory based in Mons, Belgium. It was formed by René Dubois in about 1919/1920 until circa 1950. Below is an example from our collection together with the base markings. The top number (846) is the mould number and is also impressed into the body. The mark (on most pieces) of Bergen is derived from the town itself. Can you see what looks like a hill or mountain? "Berg" (en) means mountain or hill - also as in "ice(berg)" - mountain or hill of ice. In this particular example, one can see it has all the hallmarks of Gouda. Some Bergen designs are very "Art Deco" in looks and are excellent and collectable.

 

 

 

Above and here some other Bergen marks you may come across.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sticker with the logo "Bergen Plateel" is not from the René Dubois Bergen plateel factory but from a small factory in the Netherlands.

Thanks to Thierry Lancelot.


 
Japanese copies. In the Gouda style.

Clipping from The Washington Times.

Dated 20 January 1919, it indicates one of the earliest dates for Japanese Gouda 'copies'.

With many thanks to Dennis from Holland.

 

This Japanese copy was sent by Barbara from Sydney, Australia. It is interesting to note that this is one of many examples of we have been sent from Australia and New Zealand. From acquaintances in Australia, it seems Japanese copies are plentiful.

A typical copy of a small Gouda two handled vase. The base is unmarked which is quite common. The vase is approx. 9.0cm high.

One can see these on auction sites sadly described as original PZH.

See more Japanese copies below.

 

 

 

Here is part of an e-mail (sent early April 2003) from David in Ontario, Canada.

"Over the past five years or so, I have been buying Japanese Gouda copies. They are in my view, very fine quality. While they are around, they are not as easy to find as Gouda. I have in my collection, about 50 pieces of all shapes and colours. Teapots, bowls, lamps, wall pockets, toothpick holders and of course, mostly vases. The extent of variation is amazing and even on pieces with the same form, the colouring is different. Usually very glossy, the main background colour can be black (common) or brown. I have been attempting to find out more about these. Where were they made? Who were the artists? Many of them are unmarked, some marked 'Made in Japan'. The odd one is marked 'Elite Art Pottery', 'ELJCO' (see below, probably Czechoslovakian) and 'Hongan'. "Elite Art Pottery" is often seen as "rare Gouda" - no!"

David - if you are looking in - please get in touch - we have lost contact.

Some examples from David's amazing collection of Gouda copies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above - more examples of Japanese copies. On the left - sent by Adam. On the right - sent by Shari from Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above - more Japanese copies. Senders wished to be anonymous.

 

 

Made in Japan and exported to the department store of N. Snellenburg & Co. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Established in 1869 it closed in 1962.

 

Above - sent in by Mark from Florida, USA.

 

 

A really good Japanese copy of the 'Rhodian' decor!

Made by the famous Noritake company.

 

 

Above - sent by Andy from Sussex, UK.

 

Here a beautiful Japanese copy of the Flora 'Rumba' decor. We have many items of Flora in our collection and 'Rumba' is a favourite decor. Below a 'Flora 'Rumba' from our collection. One can also see 1950's items from West Germany with the nearly identical decor. We have some in our West German ceramics collection.

 

 

 
For comparison, here is the genuine Flora 'Rumba' decor from our collection.


 

BIHL Pottery from Czechoslovakia and other Czechoslovakian pieces.

Jan from the Netherlands is an expert in and collector of BIHL pottery which is sadly often confused for Gouda. One has only to look on eBay to see this. Look at David's collection above and you may see some BIHL examples.

Jan tells us - "BIHL was a Czechoslovakian pottery company from Ledvice (or in German Ladowitz). There is not much known about this former company. I'm at this moment preparing a catalogue of known BIHL pottery. Some of these pieces are labeled with 'ELJECO / Holland', some have the stamp 'Hollandia De Coralie' and other back stamps. The pottery was produced in Czechoslovakia then these pieces were exported to Holland, given a local back stamp 'ELJECO / Holland' or 'Hollandia De Coralie' and sold on the Dutch market!"

Here are some really wonderful pictures from Jan's collection. Jan's website can be found at http://www.bihl.nl/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here an example from Eljeco probably by BIHL.

Sent in by Joe Altare.

 

This Eljeco kan, in a very nice decor, was sent in by Magda from Holland.

 
 

 

This example of BIHL has the backstamp of Vedeka Holland with a stamped 'handpainted'.

Sent in by Wouter from Holland

 

 

 

 More Czechoslovakian pottery. Thanks to Jasper & Alison from Melbourne, Australia and anonymous senders from USA and England.

The impressed/raised numbers are probably the model/shape and the 'D' number the decor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Czechoslovakian ribbed vase sent in by Marie from Holland.

Marie tells us - "This belonged to my mother. She also had some genuine Gouda pottery from Arnhem and Regina."

The vase is 19 cm high by 23 cm wide.

It has the word 'Zeeland' stamped on the base and the impressed marks 'G356/3'.

'Zeeland' was probably the retailers mark or distributor in Holland but it is not known who this was.

 

 

Clock garniture.

Sender wishes to be anonymous.

 

 

 


 

English pottery - James (Jas) Plant, Hanley, Staffordshire.

 

 

A PZH 'Damascus'/'Matapan' decor look-alike by the English potter James Plant.

From our collection.

Date circa 1920.

Various dates and backstamps date items from circa 1914 to 1938. Most James Plant patterns are very similar. They were often known as "Plant Ware".

See more information below.

Images below sent in by collectors. Second image clearly shows that Plant produced decors that were clearly influenced by Arnhemsche Fayencefabriek. Hints of the decors 'Lindus' and 'Palmet' can be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

The original factory of R. H. and S. L. Plant Ltd. Tuscan China Works, Longton, Staffordshire, England, probably dates back to the mid 18th century. The business was formed into a limited company in 1915. Many members of the Plant family were involved in potteries. Factories had various names. For example, in the Tuscan Works, the partner proprietors were R. H. Plant and his brother. Running under the aegis of the Plant family, with S. L. Plant and his son (F. S. Plant) directing the sales department, while the two brothers H. J. and A. E. Plant were in charge of the production side. A James Plant factory was actually taken over by Grimwades. James Plant Senior died in 1931 and James Plant Junior took over. As you can see a very family involved business. The Gouda style, matte glaze decors were possibly by a designer called Thomas Thorley who worked with Edward Banks. Production was at the Brook Street Factory in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

 

Left - an original PZH vase from the MuseumgoudA in Gouda. It is in the 'Matapan' decor.

If anyone doubted that James Plant did Gouda copies then just look closer again at the'Damascus'/'Matapan' decor look-alike above - see the striking resemblance of the pattern.

One can see many examples of this ware at antique fairs here in the UK (we once saw four) and they are far from rare!

Photograph by Kim Lindley & courtesy of MuseumgoudA.


 

Modica.

This company was founded in 1969 by the brothers Frans and Peter Eikenboom, the sons of P.A. Eikenboom the founder of Plateelbakkerij Flora. They imitated the patterns and styles from 1930's and later designs of other factories - mainly PZH and Regina. The company closed in 1990.

Here is a typical Modica backstamp, as you can see, one could easily be fooled into thinking this was from PZH.

See the lookalike copy of the "little house" (Lazarus gate) mark and the "Zuid-Holland".

The "F" and "P" are the first letters of the brothers names - Frans and Peter .

 

 

Other Modica marks.

Images courtesy of Henk Veentjer and collectors.

 

 


 

Metawa.

A very interesting "lookalike" here originally from the collection of Hotze & Elly. Thanks to the generosity of Hotze & Elly, this piece and others are now in our collection. This was made by the factory "Metawa" or N. V. Metawa, Tiel, Holland. The name deriving from "metal ware". Founded 1923 it closed in 1982 but was for a short time revived. It finally closed in 1985. As you may have guessed - this is made of tin not pottery!

 

 Decor 'Guus' on model 1529.

 

Another 'Metawa' mark.

Decor 'Rita'.

   


 

The C. W. Moody 'Gouda Ceramics' book with price guide.

Nice little guide from the 1970's. Many signed (as this is) by Moody. With pictures but most of the information on marks is hopelessly wrong.

 

 

 

 

Made in Holland by Marie-Rose Bogaers, English edition.

Not easy to find in the English edition.

 

 

From back cover

 

Soon some snippets from these booklets.

The Liberty Style.

A Collector's Guide to European and American Art Pottery.

Kunstaardewerkfabiek Regina by Hilde Cammel.

Dutch Modernism. 'The Schiller-David Collection'.

Antiques & Collectables - Gouda.

 


 

Postcards.

Interesting card of 'Greetings from Gouda' sent in 1943 during the German occupation of Holland. Shows a clock and candlestick garniture set with a bowl from Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland. A coiled clay pipe from P. Goedewaagen & Zoon (Son) forms a cartouche with 'Vergezicht op Gouda' (Vista or view of Gouda). Other items show the produce of Holland. Notice the small 'test' at bottom centre right - see here. From our postcards collection.

 

 

 

The Plateelbakkerij Schoonhoven factory is the subject of this postcard below which shows a painter of Delft blue. Thanks to the digital skills our friend Ron Tasman we can now see what it would have really looked like when the photo was taken - in glorious colour - thanks Ron!