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Hi,
I am looking for any information on this HUGE cobalt two piece planter set. I was told it was rare and very, very old. I have searched forever and cannot find anything similar to the hallmark.

It looks like a bird (eagle maybe) with 3 stars under it and then either 2 'X's or 'K/s". (hard to tell) That's the only mark I can find on this piece.

It's a heavy piece and ball/clawed feet. I would really appreciate any information you all could give me or at least guide me in the right direction.

thank you,
sinder

I don't think this is Asian.

You may have better results searching with the general phrase Majolica for this one, it might be French, English, or Italian.

It is nice, but hard to tell the decorations and colors.

You need better photos in daylight, closeups of the various parts, the base by itself, and a clear closeup of the marks.

Cheers
Gman

Thank you for taking the time to respond Gman.
sinder

This piece probably was made in Europe. The shield-shape is common in many western ceramics marks, but this one doesn't appear in my old Kovel's dictionary. The Kovels online repository of marks ( https://www.kovels.com/index.php ) does show one entry that is somewhat but not entirely similar, but you'll have to sign up as a subscriber to view the I.D. If you decide to do so, search under the term "shield".

Good luck,

Bill H.

I found it ! I found it !

I think I found out the who and what of this piece.

On the picture chart, see # 16..
Nuremberg (9-16)
Majolica factory established in 16th century.
9-15 Initials and names of various early potters.
16 J. von Schwartz. Established 1880.

Would you guys agree ? I've never looked so hard for anything.

Where do I go next to find more information ?





URL Title :Majolica jardinière

Nice work. No. 16 also is similar to the one I spotted on the Kovel's website.

Bill H.

Thank you Bill. What a time I had finding it.

:)

I suggest that the figures making up the legs are not dragons but gryphons.

I believe you are correct Mikeoz.

thank you,
sinder

Search WorldCat for books on 19th century majolica. There might even be one or two on German majolica and a monograph or two on your target factory.

If you were in central Europe you would have access to really great libraries in Vienna and possibly Germany. Or the British Library would be within reach.

Libraries near pottery manufactures might have best resources, including museum libraries.

Such ornate late-19th-century objects are not much in current fashion, so post-1920 auction catalogs may not offer any help. Bot you never know when a museum might mount a special exhibition.

Ok Snap,

I'll check out the books and see if I can find out more.

I found one auction that had the same base but in a different color (I've attached it here) . The auction was a couple years ago and they stated it was possibly Minton, but I don't agree with that.

thank you for your help,
sinder

Hi Sinder,
Glad you are making progress, but why not take some photos like the one you just posted of your piece?

The first thing I would have done is to try to take an outdoor photo of your base in the same position for comparison, and then while I was at it, also take some (clearly focused) photos of the base and the pot outdoors from all angles.

Maybe some expert might see it and know what it is. To be blunt, your pictures are horribly dark and featureless.

Cheers
Gman

OK,

I've got the picture sizing down. See if these are of better quality.

Thanks again,
sinder

Yes, that's much better.

You should get photos of this quality from every possible angle, if for no other reason than to make it easier down the road to show to people.

I might point out that the name which goes with the mark you posted should be Johann von Schwarz.

From what I've seen, most of what is shown online as being manufactured by the factory Johann von Schwarz Keramikfabrik (Nuremberg) are Art Nouveau metal framed ceramic tiles and trays designed by artist Carl Sigmund Luber.

Nothing I have seen online has the marks shown on your jardiniere, and nothing was similar in style to your set, which I would probably characterize as Renaissance Revival, so if the marks you posted, which I found elsewhere as well, are dating to the last quarter of the 19th century, your set is probably early.

What was the information included with the photo of the base you found?

Are there any other marks, initials, numbers on either piece?

Again, this set is worth taking the time to document with photos, which can then be sent to German ceramic experts.

Good luck.
Cheers
Gman

Hi Gman,

Thanks for hanging in there with me on this thread. I've taken a lot of photos ( 50 or more) but my understanding is that I can only post 3 at a time on this forum.

With regard to the other base that I found on-line, the information that was posted with it was this :

"A GRAND MAJOLICA JARDINIERE STAND, POSSIBLY MINTON: 3 winged griffins with each of the clawed feet grasping a ball. Majolica glaze in aquas and greens, 20"h., will hold jardiniere 16" dia."

I too, found only ceramic tiles and trays by Johann von Schwarz. But the hallmark looks so similar. I thought maybe this piece had a different artist ?

I have looked ALL over this piece Gman and I cannot find another mark on it. Nothing !

This piece is HEAVY. The bottom piece has to weigh 35 lbs and top is likely another 10-12 lbs.

It has repairs and i've detailed those in the 50+ pictures that I've taken. It has couple cracks and a few chips BUT I love the fact that this piece has been "used" over it's time.

Where do I go next to continue my research ?

Should ALL majolica be marked ? Are you thinking that this may not be Johann von Schwarz ?
Do you have information on German experts that I can send all the pictures to?

Again, thanks for staying on the thread.

Surely someone out there knows something ?

Thanks to all that are commenting,

sinder

Hi Sinder,

You can only upload three photos, but you can open a free account at a photo sharing site like photobucket, and either use the Image URL interface to post a photo, or use the Link URL interface to link to your folder of photos. (don't forget to use the URL Title interface to name the link (Example:My folder of my photos) or their will be no link shown at the bottom of your post.

"A GRAND MAJOLICA JARDINIERE STAND, POSSIBLY MINTON: 3 winged griffins with each of the clawed feet grasping a ball. Majolica glaze in aquas and greens, 20"h., will hold jardiniere 16" dia."

That is a pretty handy description of the base which you could take advantage of with a few alterations of the color descriptions. You could verify the heights are the same, and the size of the base of the jardiniere that goes with it would be the description you would be using, rather than the maximum size jardiniere base the stand can hold.

The impressed mark on your jardiniere is almost certainly the same mark shown to be attributed to Johann Von Schwarz, so when you take into account the similar color pallet, and the Renaissance Revival features of your pair, it seems a reasonable assumption they were a matched set.

I haven't found any evidence that Johann Von Schwarz was anything more than the namesake of a factory, that said, Carl Sigmund Luber worked as their chief designer between 1896 to 1906, so that leaves 16 years of production before Luber and the Art Nouveau style came along. I have a feeling that the objects you have were more high end(at the time), and likely more rare now.

Yeah, they would probably be worth more if they were Minton, but not necessarily.

"Where do I go next to continue my research?"

University art libraries? Internet?
It is like learning a new language, you are now building a vocabulary of words to search with, so as you find tidbits like the description above, take notes. Those experts only knew what they knew, and the fact that you have a known mark gives you information they didn't have, in effect, you already know more than those experts.

"Should ALL majolica be marked ?"

Not necessarily.

"Are you thinking that this may not be Johann von Schwarz ?"

Until you learn differently, think of Johann von Schwarz as the owner of a factory, he may have also made simple dinner plates, umbrella stands, roofing tiles, and sewer pipes. His input to the design of this jardiniere and stand remain to be determined.

"Do you have information on German experts that I can send all the pictures to?"

No, but I suppose you might start with any who have posted information on the pieces you have already found.

I would not rule out contacting Sothebys and Christies, or at least their representatives in Germany.

There may be museums in Nuremberg with collections of similar works.

The quality of your set is really top shelf, and the style and color palette reminds me of the figures and decorations on antique carousels.

Take your time, enjoy the chase.
Cheers
Gman



URL Title :Article on Carl Sigmund Luber

OK,

Thank you.

The hunt has begun. Thanks for all your help.

sinder

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