Information on Marks

Bases

Potting Marks first period 1900 -1938

From 1903/4 all Pilkington's vases were marked on the base. Over 70 marks are known which denote year of potting,
the artist, year of decoration and sometimes who potted the vase. A variety of paper labels were also affixed by the factory.

Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery Society can identify artists and date vases using the key to these marks.

Between 1897 and 1900 experimental numbers were used in a cleared area of glaze. They require knowledge of the glazes and shapes to identify them.

From 1900 to 1903 a letter 'P' in various forms was used.

Between 1903/1904 the mark known as
 'P and Bs' was used combining a transfer print and the impressed letter 'P'




Between 1905 and 1913 the impressed P and B mark is used with a four figure  shape number and the date in Roman Numerals.  The shape number is usually, but not always, at the top





This base is from the post 1905 period. 












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Not every piece has a shape number but all have a potting mark. An impressed 'v' (Tunnicliffe) or 'x'(Bray)  denotes the thrower.                                                                                                                         







From 1913 - 1923 the mark changed to 'Royal Lancastrian' with no Roman numeral. A shape number was used on most vases.





From 1924 - 29 the mark split with no numeral. A shape number was used on most vases.


From about this date the scratched initials 'ETR' denotes the potter
Edward Terence Radford.


From 1930 - 1938 'Made in England' was added.

Artists Marks

The pottery artists at Pilkington's each had their own distinctive mark. The male artists also used a specific mark to denote the year a vase was decorated. Whilst the tile artists occasionally put a mark or signature to their work this was not common. Some artists are much more scarce than others which influences the value of an item.

The Society is able to identify most marks and the year of production for members. A stylised presentation of artist's marks is shown below.


Annie Burton
Charles E Cundall
Walter Crane
Dorothy Dacre
Gordon Forsyth
Jessie Jones
Richard Joyce
Edmund Kent
William SalterMycock
Gwladys Rodgers




Potting marks and artists second period 1950 - 1959.




                 
The 'Hand Made in England' was not always used and @made in England' was more common.                                                                                                              



Mark of potter William Barnes


Mark of potter John Brannan


Mark of potter Eric Bridges


Pottery production was moved to a site in Blackpool in the 1970s for a short period. Usually a transfer printed mark is seen.

Rarely a scratch mark is seen usually relating to artists at Poole pottery.




All images are © Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery Society