A Simple Tip for Buying Majolica Online

Someone recently sent me the following online auction listing and asked me what I thought of it:

I told them it was a reproduction of a Minton game dish. They didn’t seem to believe me. They said, “But it’s marked!” Then they sent a photo of the mark.

These are the kinds of pitfalls that confront buyers that don’t do their homework before bidding on a piece. The game dish that is described as a Minton majolica game dish should more realistically be listed as a Minton style majolica style covered dish. 

The piece in this auction listing is one of the most commonly found majolica reproductions on the market. I’ve written about it several times before, most recently here. So how did I know it was a reproduction before seeing the mark? In my case it’s because not only does it not have the superb quality of a Minton piece but I’ve also seen this reproduction dozens of times before. For a novice without the kind of experience I’ve had the dead giveaway should have been the second photo with the spurious mark. 

The manufacturer’s intention was to deceive, so they placed a blank English Registration mark on the bottom without any understanding of the English registration system. To cover all their bases they included the crescent mark of George Jones so if you weren’t convinced by the registration mark perhaps the crescent would convince you because the Jones pottery later took on the name of the Crescent Pottery. Many people unfamiliar with English markings seem to believe that the English Registration mark is a George Jones mark. I’ve seen that mistake made hundreds of times over the years. Because many Jones pieces are marked only with a registration mark this confuses people who don’t know English pottery marks.

Take a look at a real registration mark below as well as a real Jones crescent mark.

English Registration mark

George Jones & Sons mark

Note that the registration mark has a mixture of numbers and letters. These represent specific things. For a thorough explanation go here. 

The George Jones mark is also not blank, nor does it stand on its own. There is always a stylized GJ above it while the crescent has wording that says “& Sons.” For more details on the Jones marking system go here.

The bottom line is that you need to know your facts before buying anything or you may end up spending hundreds of dollars on something that has only minimal value on the decorative market.

Genuine Minton majolica game dish

Holy Moley! Majolica Cows!

In 1984 Wendy’s fast food chain made a star of retired Russian immigrant manicurist Clara Peller when she was cast in a commercial touting the chain’s slogan “Where’s the beef?” The catchphrase which was the brainchild of advertising director Joe Sedelmair became a pop sensation worldwide resulting in other commercials with Clara and a 31% jump in the sale of Wendy's hamburgers catapulting the company to the third most popular hamburger chain behind McDonald's and Burger King, all to prove that the international passion for beef that began in prehistoric times continues to modern day.

Bovidae have been a mainstay of majolica iconography from the beginning. Of course they have! Any tableware dedicated to elegant service is going to represent products from cows and bulls and bison; mainstays of victorian dining, milk, cream, cheese, butter and beef.

Majolica made by both large and small potteries, English, American and European Continental have bovine everywhere! Here are a few examples.

George Jones majolica calla lily cheese bell

George Jones majolica acanthus cheese bell

George Jones majolica acanthus cheese bell

Adams & Bromley tall cow finial cheese bell

Adams & Bromley low cow finial cheese bell

Wedgwood majolica cow finial cheese bell

Wedgwood majolica cow finial cheese bell

Cow and apple finial cheese bell

Cow finial majolica cheese bell

Cow finial blackberry cheese bell

Cow finial low blackberry cheese bell

Skey majolica cheese weddge

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Adams & Bromley pineapple butter

Majolica Brownfield cow butter

GJ majolica cow butter

Wedgwood majolica butter dish

Etruscan Majolica butter dish

Cow finial covered dish

Majolica cow terrine

Cow finial majolica terrine

George Joness majolica terrine

Brownfield majolica terrine

Continental majolica smoking stand

Continental majolica candle stand

Continental majolica card holder

Continental majolica humidor

Austrian bull humidor

Austrian buffalo majolica humidor

Austrian majolica buffalo humidor

George Jones America compote

Eichwald majolica bison pedestal 

Portuguese Palissy majolica bull toothpick holder

Caldas bull toothpick holder

Caldas bull decanter

Portuguese majolica bull

Wedgwood majolica bull

Massier majolica bull

Orchies majolica cow

Pierre Perret majolica bull

Eichwald majolica cow with calf

Massier majolica steer with cart

Jérôme Massier majolica bulls with cart

Majolica Palissy wall pocket

Sergent majolica wall pocket

Cow majolica milk pitcher

Cow majolica creamer

Wedgwood majolica transfer plate

Adams & Co. majolica intaglio plate

So, what became of Clara Peller? Well, her moment in the spotlight was bright but brief. In addition to the Wendy’s campaign she appeared on Saturday Night Live, television talk shows, a movie, an episode of the Amazing Stories TV series and even WrestleMania.

After her success at Wendy’s her fame brought her commercials for Prego tomato sauce that claimed she found the beef and an insect repellent called Ben’s 100 using an altered version of the Wendy’s slogan, “Where’s the Ben’s?.” This terminated Clara’s contract with Wendy’s and ended the famously successful ad campaign. She died of congestive heart failure at the age of 85 just three years after fame first brought her worldwide attention but she lives on as the embodiment of one of the most successful ad campaigns in history. A book about her fast fame was written by her daughter, Peller: An American Icon.  

Wendy's spokesperson Clara Peller. (1902-1987)