Pottery Mark Query - "GTC" in triangle on bright yellow and red on art studio thrown pitcher jug

by Isabelle
(Montréal, Québec, Canada)

Pottery Mark Query - "GTC" in triangle on bright yellow and red on art studio thrown pitcher jug:- I'm from Québec, Canada, and I'm searching everywhere to find this mark. I have looked online and can't locate any information. This pitcher jug looks like a thrown piece from a potter's studio. It is very bright and lively with a rich red accented by a sunshine yellow colour.

It is quite solid and heavy and has a small semi-circular repeated design on the red part.

Can you help me?

Thank you!

Isabelle

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Reply by Peter (admin)

To:- Pottery Mark Query - "GTC" in triangle on bright yellow and red on art studio thrown pitcher jug

Hi Isabelle

This piece is the art pottery of maker Jacques Garnier (1934 - 1998). He formed a company in Magog, Quebec under the name, Estriceram Pottery which was derivitive of the French translation of "Eastern Townships Ceramics". The company was active mostly during the 1960's and 1970's.

Garnier was also Art Director for Beauceware (Ceramiques de Beauce) in the 50's and 60's. In 58 he established design & development company Argile Vivante. He created a modern minimalist range for Beauce called 'Argile Vivante Beauce'.

Your piece looks to be from the psychedelic range of the early 70's.

Marks are varied but can include the initials GTC (as your example) - which stands for Genin Trudeau Canada - a distributor's mark. Other marks have the initials 'JG'. Another mark seen is 'e Canada', which can be mistaken for a different company called 'Ecanada' (not surprisingly).

It seems that the Canadian art pottery industry was relatively small and there was an interchange of people working for various companies.

Source of information - http://mandicrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html

Peter (admin)