Identifying True Etruscan Majolica

The following post was an essay I wrote for eBay several years ago. All or part of it has appeared in numerous articles on majolica both in print and online. We thought we would also post it here for the benefit of our readers.

In the past five years there has been quite a bit of confusion about the term Etruscan Majolica.
 Etruscan Majolica was a brand name given to the earthenware pottery created first by Griffen, Smith and Hill, then later manufactured by Griffen, Smith and Company of Phoenixville Pennsylvania between 1879 and 1889. Griffen, Love and Company and the Griffen China Company, also used the same molds although theirs never bore the Etruscan brand name in the years between 1889 and 1892. 
Recently this term has appeared on eBay with increased frequency to describe majolica of a rustic nature, which is incorrect. Only true Phoenixville majolica should be labeled with the name Etruscan.
 

Reproductions of Etruscan majolica are numerous and well represented on eBay listings so the novice buyer should be aware of certain qualities of the pottery that will help them identify the real thing. Never go by the mark for there are hundreds of fake, marked pieces out there.

Etruscan Majolica begonia leaf dish

Identification


One of the easiest ways to identify true Etruscan Majolica is by the color. The Etruscan Works used a very limited palette in creating their majolica. For one thing there is no turquoise in the Etruscan palette. Whenever you see a turquoise piece advertised as Etruscan, you know it's either a fake or wrongly attributed. All Etruscan glazes have a clear, transparent quality to them. They never used opaque glazes. The company was famous for the pastel glazes they used–another way to recognize real Etruscan majolica. The long time collector will recognize an Etruscan glaze on sight. The glazes are also quite true to the design they are representing. If you see very runny glazes with little or no definition, run in the other direction!

The underside is also an easy way of telling true Etruscan Majolica. During the eleven years that the company was in production they only used three different color underside treatments for their multicolored pottery: solid white; yellow and green sponged or blocked; and the most common, brown and teal-grey mottled. Any pottery with a treatment other than this is not Etruscan.

Markings


The vast majority of Etruscan Majolica is marked with either the GSH monogram or the circular Etruscan Majolica mark but, as I mentioned earlier, many reproductions are also marked. The lack of a mark shouldn't deter you from buying an otherwise desirable piece because most of the later pieces were not marked at all, so there are quite a few out there. 

There are other telltale signs to distinguish a piece's pedigree. One thing that virtually all Etruscan majolica has on the base is a decorator's mark. Decorators were paid by the piece so they were diligent about marking the wares they worked on. The decorator's mark will appear as a small unglazed area on the underside of the piece with either a stamped or hand written two digit number in the unglazed area. 

Genuine Etruscan impressed mark with stamped decorator's mark

These marks can often be attributed to specific decorators who worked at the pottery. In fact, the decorator's mark is actually a better indication of the piece's origin as many unmarked pieces have the decorator's mark but not the GSH stamp. Otherwise, reproductions with fake Etruscan marks never have decorator's marks.

Another way of telling a fake marked piece from a real marked piece is by looking at the mark itself. Etruscan marks were pressed INTO the body of the piece—the words ETRUSCAN MAJOLICA as well as the stars in the circular Etruscan logo itself should be pressed into the clay. If they stick out it is certainly a reproduction. Marks, if they are present, are almost always crisp and clear in the colored majolica pieces. If the mark looks at all distorted or muddy, it should send up a red flag. Don't forget that Etruscan Majolica is sometimes not marked with the usual Etruscan logo. Sometimes it is only marked with the catalog number.

Genuine Etruscan production seal mold. This mold was used to create the seals 

used on the genuine pieces made by the Etruscan Works. Note how the letters are raised to press into the soft clay.

I should also mention printed marks. The Etruscan Works NEVER marked their wares with ink marks. I have seen pieces that have come out of Europe with ink Etruscan logos on the underside. These are categorically fakes. While the later potteries that took over the Phoenix Pottery did indeed use ink marks, the name "Etruscan" was not used in these marks. Ink marks that were used in these later pieces include: Griffen, Love & Co.; Chester Pottery; Griffen Pottery; and the Penn China Company.

Fakes & Reproductions


The most commonly seen fake Etruscan Majolica online are the small hollow ware pieces: a small turquoise or brown ribbed pitcher with a daisy on the side and a distorted round Etruscan majolica mark on the base; the so-called Devil or Bacchus two-handled cup, also with a fake mark on the base; and an asparagus mug with a fake mark on the base.

Fake Etruscan Majolica design

Fake Etruscan asparagus mug. The company never made any asparagus pieces

Fake Etruscan asparagus mug mark

There is also a small mug with a wild flower on the side and a little green frog inside the pink interior, with a fake mark on the base. None of these pieces were ever created by the factory.

Fake Etruscan Majolica frog mug


There are also copious numbers of colored Shell reproductions. There were plates and cups & saucers that were marketed by Horchow a few years ago.

Horchow reproduction shell plates made in Japan

These have a white underside and no mark. Etruscan Shell majolica is, while not always marked, always decorated on the underside with a brown/teal mottled glaze. These pieces date from the later period in the company's history when only that underside treatment was used. 

Bordallo Pinheiro in Portugal made reproduction Shell plates with a rather distinctive look. They have a solid grey reverse and are clearly marked.

Bordallo Pinheiro Shell plate

Portuguese Shell mark

From Asia comes a very poorly done white Shell teapot using the decoration of the so-called “Albino” wares.
 No one who has seen real majolica would ever mistake it for the real thing. From Pakistan come reproductions with black ink Etruscan marks. Also from Asia comes a poor reproduction of the Shell humidor.

Reproduction Shell humidor

There are also copies of the Sunflower fruit tray (cobalt ground with green or yellow underside) also made in Portugal which originated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and originally had a paper label and MMA on the underside. This mark is often ground off by unscrupulous dealers. The Museum also made larger plates, and mugs in the same design. The Etruscan Works never made any of these.

Metropolitan Museum of Art sunflower reproduction’s 

The reverse of the MMA sunflower plate

MMA 10.25" sunflower plate

MMA sunflower mug. Interior and underside are yellow, something you 

would never see in true Etruscan Majolica 

MMA sunflower pitcher

There are several reproductions of the Oak leaf bread tray, some marked, some unmarked. This can easily be identified by the light weight of the body or by the distorted Etruscan mark on the (usually solid colored) underside. 
There are also two antique oak leaf trays made by other companies besides the Etruscan Works. One tray, by Adam’s & Bromley, has acorns. The other is similar to the Etruscan model with two buds off the handle but it isn’t in the shape of an oak leaf. Both are antique but they aren’t Etruscan. These are usually ivory, sponged brown or yellow and green on the reverse with no mark. The front decoration will vary. Unfortunately these are being. copied as well. I show one with acorns below.

Genuine Etruscan Majolica Oak tray

Reproduction Etruscan Majolica Oak tray

Reproduction Etruscan Oak tray reverse. Note the lack of a stamped 

decorators mark, the slightly off color, and the.odd impressed stamp.

Mark from the above tray. Reproduction Etruscan mark (left) and genuine mark (right) with 

the decorator's mark to the right. Note the difference in the font used in the reproduction.

Adam’s & Bromley majolica oak tray with acorns.

Adams & Bromley oak leaf tray with acorns.

Reverse of the Adam’s & Bromley acorn leaf tray

Antique majolica leaf tray

Reproduction majolica oak leaf tray with acorns.

A piece that was very common a few years ago but not seen as often today is the rusty rose Lily cheese bell with the swan finial. 

Reproduction Lily cheese bell

Genuine GSH Lily cheese bell

This is a copy made from an auction catalog of a very rare pink Lily cheese bell. These are coarsely modeled and originated in Asia. The interior of the copy is white, unglazed as is the underside of the base—something you would NEVER see in a true Etruscan piece.

Good Buying Practices


When buying Etruscan online always deal with a seller with a good reputation and good selling history. A reputable seller will always take back a piece that was incorrectly represented. Avoid closed auctions where the bidders are not identified--this is often done by unscrupulous dealers so that knowledgeable buyers cannot alert the bidders of the fake merchandise being offered. Most of all, go to museums, antiques shows and read books to see the real thing, and in no time these fake Etruscan pieces on eBay will be as obvious to you as a fly in milk.

If you are interested in learning more about Etruscan Majolica there is a hardcover book with recent values available with this information as well as a complete survey of the company’s pottery. Click on the image for the listing on Amazon.