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Martin Brothers Pottery
Ceramics from Around the World
Ceramics Terminology
See Our Porcelain Shop
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MAKER'S MARK MYSTERY
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Dear 1Earth Antiques,
I bought this porcelain bird in Cannes during the mid-'80s. I've been told
that the mark indicates it was made by Minton. Can you tell?
— A.D.
Dear A.D.,
You've got a nice piece here, but whoever told you that your object was
made by Minton is way off the mark. (Pun intended!) Minton artists usually didn't make pieces this elaborate, and the
objects are typically marked with a globe and inscribed with the obvious
"Minton."
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The underglazed "D" beneath a crown
probably means your porcelain cockatoo was most likely produced in
Dresden, Germany. Dresden has a long and interesting history
of making porcelain. In fact, the Meissen factory, one of the most
important and influential porcelain producers in the world, began in
Dresden, and is mentioned in our Ceramics
from Around the World feature.
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Smaller factories attempted to copy the dinnerware and figure designs of
the Meissen factory.
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Your Meissen-style bird
appears to have been made by one of these smaller Dresden factories in the
beginning of the 20th century. So you're lucky, A.D.
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Typically an English made Minton piece manufactured around the same time
would be less valuable than a German made Dresden object.
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