TAGS: #panama
Fulper Pottery began in 1899 and became a prolific studio, creating tens of thousands of pieces of pottery over its history. This proliferation has created a range of value for individual pieces, and value is usually improved by the piece’s size, shape, and glaze. However, markings will occasionally play their part in adding to an item’s worth. Because of the high market competition during the early 20th century, almost all Fulper Pottery was given a distinctive mark, either via ink stamp or incisions.
Antique Paper Label
Paper labels feature the standard vertically-oriented Fulper logo and a blank space wherein an employee could hand-write details about the piece, including the name of the glaze and the price of the piece. Because these labels are made of paper, they are very rare these days. Unfortunately, this rarity does not typically increase the value of the piece.
Black Stamped Mark
Used before 1915, this mark is supposedly the earliest vertical ink-stamp mark used by Fulper. It is typically stamped inside a hollowed area of the piece.
Carved Mark
Carved logos are most commonly seen on vases and other pieces which were made after 1917. The artist would carve the logo into the base of the piece before firing.
Drawn Mark
Drawn logos were used as late as 1920 on Fulper pieces.
Incised Mark
Incised marks are one of the few markings that are actually horizontal in their orientation. These marks were pressed into the unfired pottery piece along with a three or four digit number to indicate the style of the piece. This marking style was only used after 1925.
Panama Pacific Label
Panama Pacific labels are another paper label; Used from 1915 on, they indicate the company’s first place award at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. These labels are usually found in conjunction with another more permanent mark. Their fragile nature means that few of them can be found today.
Raised Mark
Raised markings feature the standard vertical logo. This mark, used from 1915 to the early 1920s, is mainly seen on molded pottery pieces and was included as a part of the mold.
Rectangular Mark
This small mark features far more of a rectangular shape than any other Fulper logo. It is typically ink stamped on the bottom of a piece, and it is considered a very rare marking.
Vasekraft Mark
The Vasekraft mark is the mark all Fulper collectors hope to find because it typically indicates that the piece is rare and valuable. The mark itself is circular and reads “Vasekraft Fulper 1805” around a depiction of a potter at his wheel. This mark was used from 1909 to 1912, and for a short period in 1914.