B R I G L I N . C O M

Briglin Pottery Marks

The base marks for Briglin are interesting. This is an introduction to these marks.

 

There are main five types of Briglin marks;

1. Impressed
2. Incised
3. Printed
4. Painted
5. Labels
6. Monograms

There are variations to these marks but I will not go into this here. 85% of items will have one of the impressed marks. Approximately 10% of Briglin pieces are unmarked and about 5% or 1 in 20 will have one of the other marks. If I get the time I will describe the various impressed stamps that were used over the years, often they relate to when the piece was made, but that is for another day.

 

1. Impressed into the soft clay during manufacture. There are several metal stamps for the name "BRIGLIN" and for the less common "ENGLAND" These stamps leave a neat mechanical appearance. They are pressed into the soft clay before the glaze is applied. Often they are filled and partly obscured when the glaze runs during the firing process. Most marks are on the base, but cups and vases are usually marked on the rim.

   
 

2. Incised into the still soft clay during manufacture, in which case the mark will show a slight ploughed-up effect and have a free spontaneous appearance. Some early pieces are marked in this way typically with a freehand "Briglin". This is not common. I would suggest that items with this mark are from Baker Street, or possibly individual items.

 

    
 

3. Printed marks either transferred from a negative plate or from a rubber stamp at the time of decoration. Many 19th-century manufacturers of pottery used this method. Some Briglin is printed on the base under the glaze, however this is uncommon. Items with this mark are from Baker Street.

 

 

  
 

4. Painted marks are sometimes initialed by painting to the unglazed base of pieces. JV (John Virando) is common, I believe these are pieces he continued to make and sell after he left Briglin.

 

 

  

 

5. Labels are sometimes found. Round printed labels were used for a short period. (1957?) They were brown and round with "HAND MADE BRIGLIN IN ENGLAND", many do survive. These are items from Barker Street.

 

 

  
 

6. Monograms are individual potters marks on items. They are a signature. Usually they are made with small metal or wooden 'stamps' impressed into the wet clay. For Briglin I only know of monograms on the tea pots but monograms were widely used on quality handmade items all through the C20th. It is often a sign that the item has been crafted with some degree of care and attention.

 

  
 

Additional Information:

01.06.2010

The monogram stamp used manly on the tea pots is that of Michael Crosby-Jones MCJ.

Alan Pett

 

 

07.07.2011

Bitossi Unmarked - mid2mod.blogspot.com

I read this passage on mid2mod.blogspot.com. It sheds some light on a well known Italian ceramics factory which did not mark production items leaving the factory for very good reason. Very interesting. I doubt Briglin is often unmarked for the same reasons but it is still very interesting.

"That said, many pieces of Bitossi are unmarked. Quite often large and important importers would request that the manufacturer's name be omitted so that consumers would not be able to obtain them anywhere else. This was, and still is, quite common and is the reason so much Italian pottery goes unidentified.

Sometimes importers might actually own the design rights to a line of ceramics. Raymor is a good example. Owning the design rights allows the importer to contract with any company or number of companies to produce the wares. An importer might have two or more factories producing his line in order to ensure a constant, uninterrupted supply should one factory experience an equipment failure or a worker's strike, which was common in post-war Italy.

Experts readily admit, as does the Bitossi company, that many early pieces left the factory without the Bitossi mark. Mid-century pieces and marked as such are collectible and relatively expensive. Such pieces, whether created by Londi, Fornasetti, Sottsass, Rashid or other great 20th century designers, are works or art.


However, if an item is not clearly marked, it is probably best not to spend a large sum of money on it. Ceramiche Bitossi is willing to help the collector. If you send a photo to the company, they will authenticate the piece for you."