N in C MarkQ: I have a vase with this N in C mark as well as several other letters and numbers stamped or inscribed on it. Who made it and how old is it?
A: This N in C mark was used by Newcomb Pottery, founded in 1895 at Sophie Newcomb College, a women's college in New Orleans. The pottery continued through the 1940s. Students at the college decorated pottery formed by men. Throwing pots was not considered a suitable occupation for women.
Several other marks can be found on pieces of Newcomb Pottery. Initials of the decorator and potter were incised on the bottom of the piece. A date letter code was used from 1901 to 1942. The year was indicated by one or two letters. Single letters A through Z were used until sometime in 1903, when double letters AA, BB, etc., were used. In 1904 the double letter system changed to AA, AB, AC, etc., until the last date letter code, ZY, was used in 1941.
Each piece of Newcomb Pottery was unique. The number after the date letters indicates the number of the piece. There were 100 numbered pieces for each letter or letter combination.
2 comments:
Not all pieces of porcelain and pottery marked with the initials NC are Newcomb. There was also a company in Germany that used this mark and another in Japan. I didn't see a photo of the piece in the email I received from Kovels, but thought I'd just make this remark. A good search on the internet, should turn up this information. The mark shown in the email is identical to a piece of figural porcelain I have that obviously isn't Newcomb.
I have a monk-like figure about 6 1/2 inchdes tall, holding a staff and a bible. The crown and N are not the Newcomb. Is there a ballpark range of value?
Donjax@comcast.net
Burlington, VT
Post a Comment