What do our backstamps mean?

In July, the Made in England mosaic was unveiled at the Potteries Museum. Its website is a rich resource of potteries history and reference material. Here, with kind permission from artist Emma Biggs, we bring you some extracts of the site. Explore more at
www.made-in-england.net

by Phil Rowley

Many people born in the Potteries have a history of family members working in the industry. To us, it is second nature to turn over a piece of pottery of a type or pattern we haven’t seen before to look at the backstamp.

It often surprises visitors to discover just how much information you can find by looking at a backstamp, with a little help from a standard reference book. This example has been randomly selected from the mosaic.

Maker:
The maker’s mark is B. G. & W.
Geoffrey Godden’s ‘Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks’ is probably the most useful reference book with which to research your backstamp: any UK reference library should have a copy.

Godden tells us that the abbreviation above stands for Bates, Gildea & Walker. The company operated the Dale Hall Works in Burslem between 1878 and 1881, making earthenware and china. It was formerly Bates, Walker & Co and subsequently became Gildea & Walker.

As this factory only operated for three years under the Bates, Gildea & Walker name, we are able to date the ware with great accuracy. Please note, however, that many longer-lived factories changed their marks over the years. It is often possible to place a piece within a limited period by comparing the mark with the examples in Godden.

Occasionally a mark may not be found in Godden or its origin may seem uncertain. Unfortunately, there are many small or short-lived factories for which no data is available. In such a case, keep looking in every reference book you can find and try posting a query on one of the antiques news-groups.

Pattern name:
Godden notes that the pattern name was often used alongside the mark. In this case we can be reasonably sure the pattern name was ‘Satsuma’. This fits the date, as there was a Victorian vogue for Japanese style at the time.

Registration mark:
The diamond-shape is a Victorian registration mark. This system was used from 1842 - 1881 as a means of protecting a particular pattern (or shape of ware) from piracy. It was a system also taken up by foreign manufacturers, so the presence of a lozenge does not guarantee a British origin.

Two types of diamond were in operation, which makes a reference book essential in order to decipher the code. This is a ‘right-hand’ diamond, telling us the pattern was registered on 27th August 1879, and confirming the factory date.
In 1884 a simpler system came into use. It is based on numbers, and it is still in use today. Godden gives a short table of first numbers for a range of years: for precise information it is necessary to consult the registration details in the archives of the Patent Office.

Other marks and indications:
Here, you can see the impressed mark ‘7/80’. The most likely interpretation of these numbers is that the piece was produced in the raw state in July 1880. If pottery is kept in store for long periods between firings it can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, which may cause faults in later firings. For this reason it was useful for the factory to know when the ware was produced.

Sometimes, numbers and letters may be painted on, or impressed into the ware. In some cases, they may refer to the shape of the ware or indicate a pattern number. In others, they could be an individual worker’s mark used to ensure they were paid for the work they had done. Impressed marks have to be made while the body is still soft - before the ware has been fired at all. This means they usually don’t refer to a pattern, as the same ware might have any of a number of designs applied later.
The word ‘England’ normally indicates a date after 1891. ‘Made in England’ indicates a 20th century date. The country of manufacture was stated after an American law was introduced requiring imported goods to be so marked.

Crazing:
Another characteristic of this piece of ware is that the glaze is crazed.
In Europe crazing is considered a serious fault, but in the east ware was sometimes deliberately crazed to imitate earlier, prized wares.