Okay, so I’ve been getting into pottery lately, and let me tell you, it’s addictive! But it’s also been driving me crazy trying to figure out who made some of the pieces I’ve picked up at flea markets and antique stores. I mean some mark, right? Then, I stumbled upon this whole world of “Bell Pottery Marks.”
I started by, you know, just Googling “pottery marks.” Big surprise, a ton of stuff came up. I felt like there were only about a million different potteries that use a bell shape mark. It was super frustrating.
So, I tried focusing. I used the search term like “bell pottery marks.” That narrowed it down slightly, but not enough to get me where I needed to be. So I had to use all the info I found and get down to digging.
Digging Deeper
First, I grabbed all my pottery with bell-ish marks and laid them out on the kitchen table. My wife was thrilled, let me tell you. Then, I started taking pictures – good, clear shots of the marks themselves, plus the whole piece so I could get a sense of the style and age. It’s kind of like being a detective, piecing together clues.
Next, I created a simple spreadsheet. Nothing fancy, just columns for:
- Photo of the mark
- Description of the mark (color, size, any words or numbers)
- Description of the pottery piece (shape, color, glaze, any other details)
- Possible maker (this was blank at first)
- Notes (anything else I noticed)
This actually helped me stay organized, because there’s just so much info out there that things start to look the same. My next research step was to check other related key words. I tried to figure out some more specific ones.
I pored over these results, comparing the pictures to my spreadsheet. It was slow going, I’ll admit. I kept thinking, “There has to be an easier way!” And there probably is, but I’m a hands-on learner, you know? I like to get my hands dirty (literally, with all the clay!).
I started noticing some patterns. Some bells were very simple, just outlines. Others were more detailed, with clappers and even little designs around them. Some had initials inside the bell, others had words like “England” or a company name underneath. It was fascinating to see that small shape had so many variations.
The “Aha!” Moment (Sort Of)
I wouldn’t say I had one big “aha!” moment. It was more like a series of small “oh, okay” moments. I managed to identify a few pieces tentatively. Like, I found one mark that looked very similar to one used by a particular English pottery, but I couldn’t be 100% sure. There were just so many tiny differences! Some were pretty obvious, but with others I was pulling my hair out!
So, what did I learn? This is a long game. Identifying pottery marks, especially these bell ones, takes time, patience, and a lot of cross-referencing. I realized I need to keep building my knowledge, keep comparing, and maybe even join some online pottery forums to get help from other collectors. I am very happy I started keeping the spreadsheet, so at least I have a good record of my collection so far.
It’s a journey, not a destination, right? And honestly, that’s part of the fun. It’s like a treasure hunt, and who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt?