This section includes marks for the companies you are most likely to encounter.  However, since there were over 90 companies producing commercial or studio art pottery in W. Germany, this is by no means a complete list. The thumbnail shows the item the mark or label is on. If you need help trying to identify an item, please send pictures of the item and the bottom.  Just telling me the numbers won't be enough. ginfor@earthlink.net

GinFor's Odditiques (GINny and FORrest Poston's Oddities and Antiques) West German Pottery Marks Page Two: Jasba to Ruscha

Understanding the Numbers: Most W. German items have one set of numbers then a slash or hyphen and a second set of numbers. Usually, the first set is the shape number, and the second set is the approximate height in centimeters.  It's sometimes possible to identify an item by just the numbers, but the companies used very similar systems, and some companies re-used shape numbers over the years. Take note that the number 1 will often have a strong serif, making it look like a 7. However, the European 7 usually has a bar across the middle (example visible in the first Carstens picture.)

Jasba The Cortina glaze makes this one easy to identify, and Jasba is the only company so far confirmed with this rectangular embossed West-Germany mark.	Jasba Jasba didn't actually use a company mark all that often, but this is the most common when they did mark items.
Karlsruhe Most Karlsruhe pottery is marked (not all), and in addition to the company mark, there is usually a form number.	Kiechle Now this is a distinctive mark. It's not clear if all Kiechle was marked but certainly most.
Royal Porzellan, also known as Kerafina There are many "KPM" marks out there, and most are not the company best known by that abbreviation.  Since the P stands for Porzellan and the M for Manufactory, all you need is a word starting with K, and your company becomes KPM.	Marzi & Remy Most Marzi & Remy has no company mark, but here is one of the more esoteric marks you'll find.
Marzi & Remy	Otto Keramik Otto Keramik is never marked except with a label. This simple label was the early version but rarely survives. More recent work has a foil label. Bottoms are covered with felt (various colors used). When the felt is gone, there's a flat,white bottom, often with some glaze in the center.
Roth Keramik Roth didn't mark items except with a label, and many Roth items have typically been attributed to other companies until recently.	Ruscha Early Ruscha marks where hand done, like the glazes.  Artist's intiatls and decor names were sometimes included, along with the word handgemalt (for hand decorated).  Not all items were marked, and silver foil label was also used.
Ruscha	Ruscha This embossed mark and Ruscha Art label both came in later years.

West German Pottery Information Introduction to Lava, Volcanic Glazes Collecting WG Pottery (a philosophical essay) A Divine and Delightful Madness: an Introduction to West German Pottery (published in Northeastern, 2005) Reputation and Reality: Sorting Out West German Pottery (slightly edited from version published in the AAPA Journal,  Sept.-Oct. 2004) West German Pottery Marks West German Pottery Companies Photo Gallery (previously sold items to help with identification) W. German Pottery News and Updates A Sneak Peek at Kevin Graham's Upcoming Book Ruscha Catalog

Other Essays To Buy or Not to Buy: Going Where Price Guides End The Art of Attending Auctions Get the Picture Straight: The Basics of Selling Glass and Pottery on the Net Tiffanyfakes.com (Site Review) Just for Fun The Cor-purr-ate Story (Glyph's Rise to Power) A Tribute to Fractured Fairy Tales: Dealing with the Wolf at the Door

Pages About Us Meet the Gin and the For Meet our "staff" Contact information Philosophy and Nonsense: Writing, Education, Odd Thoughts and other essays (my "other" site) Head for the GinFor's Odditiques Home Page Items for Sale West German Pottery Art Pottery Porcelain, Other Pottery Glass Metalware, misc. Paintings, prints, etc. Links

All the information here is free, but we appreciate being cited if you use the information. We also appreciate donations if you think you got enough from the site to make it worthwhile. We have a special problem at the moment because Triscuit went into intensive care on August 2 and is running up some very large vet bills. All donations will go towards his care. (We are also running a sale on the commercial portion of the site.) West German Pottery Marks Page One Page Two,  (You are here.) Page Three