1930s German Pottery

To identify German pottery, look over the base or interior for the maker's markings. Many pieces will bear some type of stamp, sticker or other marking, which you can research using trusted online resources to learn who made them. From there, you can read about the maker to determine if the company or artisan is German. Some well-known German makers include Hutschenreuther, Meissen, Arzberg, Fürstenberg, Nymphenburg, Gmundner Keramik, Royal Porcelain Manufacture Berlin, Kahla and Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur. If you can't find any maker's markings, consider having a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer help you. Find a wide variety of German pottery on 1stDibs.

What German pottery is called depends on its style. Pieces with embossed surfaces and thick, chunky glaze produced in West Germany are nicknamed "Fat Lava." Hard-paste porcelain produced in Germany is sometimes referred to as Meissen or Dresden porcelain, depending on its manufacturer. Early 20th-century pieces that show off naturalistic motifs inspired by the Art Nouveau movement may be called Jugendstil pottery. Shop a large collection of German pottery on 1stDibs.

To tell German pottery, look on the bottom or inside for a maker's marking. Using trusted online resources, you can then research the marking and identify both the maker and the country in which it operates or operated. Some well-known makers of German pottery include Villeroy & Boch, Meissen, Dresdner Porzellan, Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur, Rosenthal, Fuerstenberg, Nymphenburg, Wallendorfer, Scheurich and ES Keramik. Explore a large collection of German pottery on 1stDibs.

A number of brands are West German pottery. Among them are Scheurich, Bay, Carstens, Otto, Ceramano and Dumler and Breiden. Basically, any pottery company that operated in western Germany between 1949 and 1990 can be categorized as West German. On 1stDibs, explore an assortment of pottery from some of the world's top sellers.

To identify West German pottery, look on the bottom or interior for markings. Many pieces will have markings with the words "West Germany.” Others may instead or also have markings with the maker's name. By researching the maker's mark, you can determine whether the manufacturer was a West German company. Well-known West German pottery manufacturers include Scheurich, ES Keramik, Ceramano and Ruscha. Some pottery also has an item or piece number on it; this can be used to learn more about your piece's age, style or line name and other characteristics. If you can't find any markings on your piece, you may wish to have a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer help you with identifying it. On 1stDibs, shop a large collection of West German pottery.