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The Marks and Mysteries of Gerold Porzellan

Unveiling the Imprints of Time

The different marks for Gerold Porzellan over the years

In this chapter, we unravel the enigmatic marks of Gerold Porzellan, decoding the language of porcelain and shedding light on the company’s evolution through time.

In the world of porcelain, the marks adorning each piece are not just insignias; they are historical imprints, revealing a rich tapestry of ownership changes and periods.  Gerold Porzellan, during its brief yet illustrious manufacturing years, left behind a trail of marks that serve as a testament to its evolution.

The journey begins with a spectrum of ink colors—green, blue, black, and gold--each potentially denoting shifts in manufacturing ownership or specific eras.  The choice of ink color, it seems, was not merely aesthetic but symbolic of transitions within the company.

Words etched onto the porcelain have also undergone subtle shifts.  Some pieces bear the proud declaration, “Tettau, Bavaria,” while others succinctly state, “Bavaria.”  Bavaria, a renowned region for porcelain manufacturing, witnessed a transition marking convention.  Before 1871, marks often included the word Bavaria.  However, post-1871, as Germany unified, the marks incorporated “Bavaria, Germany.”

The intrigue deepens with introducing the “Made in Germany” mark, ushered in following the McKinley Tariff Act in the late 19th century.  Yet, history weaves a more complex narrative.  The founding of the German Democratic Republic in October 1949 triggered a directive that saw the replacement of “Made in Germany” with “Made in GDR” or “Made in German Democratic Republic” in East Germany.  In response, West German manufacturers adopted “Made in W. Germany” Or “Made in West Germany.”  This divergence in marking continued until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the official reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990.

Gerold Porzellan’s marks, thus, offer a window into a precise timeframe.  Pieces bearing “Made in Germany” were crafted between 1937 and October 1949, bridging a pivotal period in history.  Those with “Made in Western Germany” or “Made in W. Germany” originated after the founding of the  German Demographic Republic and persisted until October 1989.

Amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, Gerold Porzellan ingeniously employed the "Gerold & Co” mark for exports into communist countries, circumventing the bans on West German products.  This clever tactic allowed the company to maintain a presence in markets closed off by political ideologies.

However, the complexities of dating Gerold Porzellan do not end with marks.  The reuse of molds over the years means that pieces with the same model number may have been crafted years apart.  Each piece carries its own unique story, etched in porcelain and ink, waiting to be deciphered.

 

Figure 1          

Fig. 1                                                                Fig. 2

                    

Fig.3                                                  Fig. 4                                                  Fig. 5

All three vases look alike (Fig. 1 & 2), yet each has a slightly different mark indicating they have been produced at different times, which I believe to be between 1949 and 1989 (Fig. 3-5).

 

Shown below are the different marks the company has used:

   
NP Neu Porzellan Tettau
Used during 1920-1937 when the company was called the Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau e.G.m.b.H. 
copyright © Karyn Hudson
Used with Permission
Neue Tettau Porzellanfabrik Bavaria AG
Used from1928-1937
copyright 2013 JoAnn Snow 

 

Neu Tettau logo 1029-1937 Neu Tettau logo 1029-1937 

Neu-Tettau
Bavaria

Swan
Used during 1929-1937 when the company was called Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau A.G.
copyright © 2013 Anonymous
Used with permission

The words "Made in Germany, U.S. – Zone," were added to marks on pieces from some factories in the Occupied section of Germany after World War II.

Photo Copyright © 2013 John McKennee
 Used with Permission

Immediately after WW2, what was to become West Germany was partitioned into the British, French, and U.S. Zones of Occupation. The U.S. Zone included southern Germany including the area known as Tettau, Bavaria where Gerold Porzellan was produced.  The Americans often guaranteed the purchase of the whole production run of certain manufactured goods from German factories because the German manufacturers sold plenty of their products to Allied servicemen who were based in Germany, many of whom had their families living with them. Along with other manufactured goods in that region, manufacturers had the country-of-origin mark as "US Zone Germany" until the early fifties when the Allies ceased being armies of occupation and then the marks became "Made in Western Germany".
    

1937-1960 mark

Gerold & Co Tettau
Bavaria
1937-1960

copyright © 2008 JoAnn Snow

Gerold's that are marked, "Gerold & Co" were used for exporting into communist countries as all West German products were banned.  Many companies used this tactic to get around the bans.

1937 - 1949 Green Mark

Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria

Unknown Date, but pre-1949 Green Mark
copyright © Lindsay Wilcox 2008

1937 - 1949 Green Mark

Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria
Made in Western-Germany


Here is an example of a pre-1949 mark with a separate "Made in Western-Germany" stamp.  These items had already been made, but because of the founding of the GDR, they quickly added the stamp to comply with trade.

Post 1949 - 1989 Green Mark.

Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria
Made in
Western Germany
Post-1949 - 1989 Green Mark.  Note the omission of the hyphen between Western Germany.
copyright © 2008 Cindy Amundsen

    
Other Gerold Porzellan Trademarks

Seit 1904 (Since 1904)

Gerold-Tettau, Bavaria
Seit 1904 (Since 1904)
Made in Germany
Handgefertigt 
(Handmade)
1937 and October 1949 in Green
copyright © 2008 J.L. Starken
Used with Permission

Hand Decorated in the U.S.A.

Some products were decorated in the U.S. as indicated by this gold mark:
Hand Decorated in the U.S.A.

copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003
Used with permission

Export mark for Austria

Old Vienna
Souvenir from Austria
Gerold Porzellan
Handmade

Export mark for Austria
Used with Permission
Anonymous

Gerold Kueps mark

Gerold Kueps
Made in Bavaria
handgefertigt (Handmade)
Used from 1997 to 2002 by Gerold Kueps, a subsidiary of the Seltmann Weiden Group that bought out the Gerold Porzellan company. 

The "Hand Painted" (Handgefertigt) stamp was not commonly used. Many Gerolds were ordered by gift shops and other exclusive shops or exported, so it might have been a contractual detail ordered by a particular company that wanted people to understand the item was indeed hand-painted.

Gerold Porzellan Mark and the letter

Gerold Porzellan Mark and the letter "N" below a Crown.
copyright © 2014 The Linden House Antiques
Used with Permission

 

I have seen this mark a few times and after some research, as far as I can tell, this mark may have been used to export into communist countries. 

Gold souvenir mark 1949-1989 

Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria
Made in Western-Germany

1949 - 1989 Gold Mark (usually found on a souvenir item)
copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003
Used with permission.

Paper Seals

Neue Porzellanfabrik Gerold & Co. Tettau Paper Seal 1919-1937

Neue Porzellanfabrik Gerold & Co. Tettau Paper Seal
1919-1937

Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Paper Label

Gerold Porzellan Bavaria
Paper Label

copyright © JoAnn Snow
Used in the 1950's

Made in West Germany Round Seal after 1989

Made in West Germany
Round Seal 

used after 1989
copyright © JoAnn Snow

75 Jahre (Years) Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Blue/Gold Seal

75 Jahre (Years)
Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria
Blue/Gold Seal

copyright © Rudolf Buss 2003
Used with permission

80 Jahre (Years) Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Blue/Gold Seal 

80 Jahre (Years)
Gerold Porzellan
Bavaria
Blue/Gold Seal

copyright © 2012 Nicole Grevecke
Used with permission.

 Gold Diamond-Shaped Label Gerold Porzellan

Gold Diamond-Shaped Label
Gerold Porzellan
No history on this label
copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003
Used with permission. 

Golden Crown E & R Western Germany Black Seal

Golden Crown E & R
Western Germany

Black Seal
copyright © Celeste Day
Used with permission

 

This is the seal used by Ebeling and Reuss Importers located in Pennsylvania, which is still in business today.  In the 1950s they were the largest suppliers of high-quality giftware, including porcelain products, in the Northeastern United States.  The original owners, John E. F. Zeh, Frederick Ebeling, and Theodore Reuss started in Philadelphia, but settled in Allentown. Today they are owned by the Strathmore Corporation of Pennsylvania. 

    

Design Florist Mark

In the 70's, this mark was made for a line of ultra-modern vases by Gerold Porzellan for florists.

Imprinted

Gerold Porzellan Design Florist Mark

Imprinted

Design Florist Mark

Imprinted

Gerold Porzellan Design Florist Mark


Design Florist Paper Logo
Gerold Porzellan Design Florist Paper Mark
 Blue Pageant Marks    

 

"Some Blue Pageant products have the word Porzellam, but it is not misspelled, rather it is a trademark used by Gerold Porzellan.  The "Blue Pageant" was a special unmarked (no Gerold mark) export series produced before 1960.  One distributor was "Clarkson Table Appointments" in Canada."
Information copyright 2004 Christopher-Simon Marshall. Used with permission. 
 
http://www.porcelainmarksandmore.com

Blue Pageant Mark
Blue Pageant
Porzellan Bavaria - Germany
The black area of the top image is difficult to see, but there is a crown and gold lettering, the letters "TA" 

Here is a better photo of the Blue Pageant TA mark.

 

 

Blue Pageant Design

Blue Pageant Pattern

 

    
Neue Porzellan Tettau Mark

Gold Series Antique White mark Neue Porzellan Tettau
  Gerold-Serie Antik Weiss
copyright © 2013 Monika Brigitta Fuchs
Used with Permission

This mark was found on a lovely dish with Model # 8194. I believe it to be a special line of products made for upscale shops or even for one company.  The owner describes it as having been purchased in the 1980s through "Heine-Versand", an exclusive line of Otto-Versand.  Otto-Versand was once the largest mail-order catalog in the world and sold everything from shoes to household decorations.  Heine-Versand still operates today.

This dish has the Antique Series mark

Antik Series Dinnerware
These are examples of products with this mark. A dish and a coffee service set.