Incised "M over W" inside a pitcher mark on old bue & white tile

by Alex
(Beulah, Michigan, USA)

Incised

Incised "M over W" inside a pitcher mark on old bue & white tile

Incised "M over W" inside a pitcher mark on old bue & white tile:- We live in Northen Michigan and find a wide variety of things at local estate and garage sales. Over the years we have amassed quite a collection of resource material but we still routinely find things we can not identify. At one time we had several booths in a Traverse City, Michigan Antique store and we have been selling on ebay for about 12 years.


We find it fun, most of the time, to try to identify unknown objects ranging from death masks to pottery and glass. The discussion boards that are found on ebay have been very helpful in identifying things, with many people there willing to share their knowledge about various types of antiques and collectables.

However there are times when frustration sets in, when after looking we are not able to identify an object. One of these cases is that of a vintage art pottery five inch by five inch tile with a blue image of a farmer? on the front. On the reverse is the mark we need help in identifying. It looks like a pitcher or jug with an "M" over a "W" inside it.

We have not had any luck in identifying the mark and while looking on line found this interesting site and thought we would try it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex and Mary

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Reply by Peter (admin)

Hi Alex and Mary

Fun and frustrating at the same time. Yup, I know that feeling well. Welcome to my website!

We do get a lot of answers to very mystifying queries here - answers which have quite amazed me, so hats off to our visitors.

All I could do with this one was to look at all the MW marks I could find. Goddens UK directory showed Warren McKenzie, but the mark shown was nothing like your pitcher mark.

I looked at Rontgen for Germanic marks and there was nothing.

There was an MW mark shown on some Italian Cellini-Craft metal platters which incorporated fancy ceramic tiles within the design - which I think was just co-incidental as neither the tile nor the mark was anything like.

Now what happens is we throw this open, and with luck someone just might post a comment which solves, by which time you may have lost the will....

However, it will to be sure to be of use to others.

This identification lark does sometimes take time.

Best regards

Peter (admin)

Comments for Incised "M over W" inside a pitcher mark on old bue & white tile

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Beware Incised M W Markings
by: Peter (admin)

I don't know if this is relevant to this discussion, but I just read an ebay guide which talked about crazing compared with fake crazing and also mentions a common fake mark with the initials MW. It does not show a picture.

See www.ebay.com/gds/Majolica-A-Guide-to-the-Authentic-Repros-amp-Fakes/10000000001231695/g.html

I don't know if this is the mark the expert author was referring to as there was no picture and he didn't mention a pitcher within the marking.

Anyway, just a work of caution when looking at items with a M W marking - it could be modern repro.

Peter (admin)
Same mark
by: Gail

I have a pottery figure which I think may be Majolica, of a cherub riding a fish. It also has the same mark as the blue and white tile. Has anyone recognised this mark since the previous suggestions were made please?
We think of a German tile
by: HeDi

This MW mark made me think of another mark with an R on top of an M, positioned in a pitcher as well. It is the mark of German Marzi & Remi, that made a lot of stoneware items, pitchers. So, I figured that maybe another stoneware factory made tiles by occasion as well. I came across Merkelbach & Wick, but they used other marks, at least they did for their stoneware items. I know that tiles are more often not marked at all and I was guessing that maybe Merkelbach & Wick might have chosen to just easily incise the M&W by hand on a tile?
Another thing is that M&W would have been founded in 1872 and I think your tile is older than that(?).
However, my guess is that the tile might be German or from that region (Switzerland, Austria..), because of the clothes and the hat the man is wearing, plus he seems to carry some kind of pitcher. Maybe this helps a little.
"M/W" tiles
by: Pj Meyers/Sandi Antiques Cadillac, MI

I also have the farmer, but a woman too. She's carrying a sheath and sickle and dressed in a Dutch looking dress. No clue here.
Ashtray with same mark
by: Scott

I have a pottery ashtray with same mark with "Hotel Excelsior Munchen" on it. Maybe that helps locate the source. I’m trying to learn if it’s from the original Excelsior destroyed in WWII.
Pitcher mark with a W inside the pitcher on Stein NEW
by: Dan

I have a faience beer stein with the Pitcher Manufacturer marking with a W on the inside. It is most likely a reproduction since the early ones from the 18th century use a different pewter thumb lift. It is still a high quality piece. If anyone has information in this type of mark let me know. I wanted to share a pic on this forum but could not.
Egg cups with the same m w in a pitcher NEW
by: Anonymous

I was just at an auction in Ontario Canada, I got some egg cups in the shape of duck they have the same marking and I didn’t find the manufacture either, it would be nice to find out.

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