Majolica in the Movies: Secret Ceremony

Since the month is October with Halloween around the corner, television and cable stations are pulling out every strange and spooky movie in their library. Naturally, a film that fits both of those qualities is bound to appear on the airwaves—the 1968 film Secret Ceremony. With an unlikely cast that includes Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum, the story concerns a woman of means, in this case a prostitute, and an odd girl who bears a strong resemblance to her deceased daughter, Mia Farrow. Fitting into this peculiar relationship is the young girl’s estranged step-father, played by Robert Mitchum.

The plot of this bizarre British film is more peculiar than we really need to discuss here. What caught my eye however, was a large jardiniere on a table in the living room of the prostitute’s mansion containing a cactus plant much too small for its container—a floral Massier jardiniere.

Image from the film Secret Ceremony

Similar, if not identical, to the jardiniere shown below, the form is unmistakably Delphin Massier.

Massier majolica floral jardiniere 

Unfortunately—or not—this was the only piece of majolica in the film, but it makes its appearance early in the story so one doesn’t need to subject oneself to the entirety of this odd movie to catch it. Of course, if movies of this nature appeal to you, feel free to indulge. As for myself, I turned the channel to something a little less strange, the 1932 movie Freaks!

To view the movie trailer go here.

The Majolica of Bernard Bloch

Bernard Bloch was born in Mecov, Austria in 1836. Raised in a family of German Jews, he had elementary formal religious training in a Jewish school. Rather than seek higher education, he began work at a shipping company in the Karlovey Vary region of Bohemia delivering clay to potteries for porcelain manufacture, a prevalent industry in the area. Through this connection he developed an education in pottery manufacturing which created an interest in entering the field. When a pottery in Uncin—then a city in Austria—came up for sale in 1869, he purchased it and entered the trade under the name of B. Bloch & Co.

Bernard Bloch c. 1900

The company made a wide variety of items from decorative art pottery to majolica to table and sanitary wares. Smoking associated pieces though, became what they were best known for. In 1895 Bloch expanded his business by purchasing a pottery in Eichwald, Bohemia—present day Dubi, Czechoslovakia—and added tile and stove manufacturing to his line of ceramics. Bloch successfully ran the company there for the next fourteen years until his death in 1909.

Bloch majolica jardinieres and pedestals

Bloch majolica fruit plaque

Bloch majolica fruit plaque

Bloch majolica humidor

Bloch bar maid majolica match striker

Bloch majolica figural smoking stand

Bloch majolica boar smoke stand

Bloch majolica Native American smoke stand

Bloch majolica bird vase

After Bloch’s death, the company continued operation during the first World War in the production of majolica and art pottery under the Eichwald name, eventually incorporating in 1920 under the name of Eichwald Porcelain and Stove Company Bernard Bloch & Co., now part of Czechoslovakia. The pottery continued the manufacture of majolica long after most potteries had stopped making the ware.   

Until 1940 the pottery continued successful operation when, during the Nazi occupation, the Jewish owned company was seized from the Bloch family and given to the German Dr. H. Widera & Co. and renamed Eichwald Porcelain, Stove, and Tile Factory Dr. Widera & Co. 

Eichwald majolica hanging game plaque

Eichwald majolica hanging game group

Eichwald majolica cow and calf

Eichwald majolica faun and mermaid

Eichwald lily vase

Eichwald majolica basket

Eichwald majolica floral vase

Eichwald majolica plaque

Eichwald majolica jardiniere and pedestal

Eichwald majolica swan jardiniere

Eichwald jardiniere

Eichwald majolica dog humidor

Eichwald majolica frog humidor

Pair Eichwald majolica bud vases

Eichwald majolica figure

Eichwald majolica art nouveau vase

Eichwald majolica floral vase

Eichwald majolica garden seat

Eichwald majolica tazza

Eichwald majolica naughty dish

Eichwald majolica art nouveau sled vase

Eichwald majolica vase

Eichwald majolica swan sled

Eichwald majolica compote

Eichwald majolica vase

Eichwald majolica bison pedestal

Eichwald majolica fruit bowl

Two years after the fall of Nazi Germany, the company was nationalized in 1947 under the Czech Republic and merged with Royal Dux and Count Thun’s Porcelain Factory into Duchcov Porcelain. They continued using the Eichwald name on some of their wares.

It’s debatable whether the pottery made after the World Wars should be considered majolica as we know it. It certainly isn’t Victorian majolica. It has a very different look from Victorian majolica, often using opaque glazes in addition to the more traditional clear glazes. Additionally it has more modern designs than what we are used to seeing with Victorian majolica. The pottery continued manufacture of this hybrid ware well into the late 1950s. 

Eichwald sphinx cigarette box

Eichwald vase

Eichwald basket

Eichwald compote

In 1957 Ducov merged with Carlsbad Porcelain which continues business today.

Throughout its existence Bloch/Eichwald also made some beautiful utilitarian and decorative pieces in porcelain, earthenware and terracotta decorated in matte glazes and enamels. These aren’t majolica and shouldn't be confused with it though it is frequently marketed as such. One clue in identifying it is when the body is visible where the enamel has worn through.

Bloch art nouveau vase

Bloch art nouveau basket

Bloch enamel painted figures. The terra cotta body can 

be seen where the enamel has worn.

Bloch enamel painted terra cotta figure

Eichwald earthenware recumbent boy

Bloch pottery was marked in a number of ways over the long length of its production. The earliest pieces were usually marked with a simple BB on the underside with a catalog number. In time the name Eichwald was added to the mark, sometimes in addition to the BB mark and sometimes without. The Czechoslovakia stamp was added after 1890. Porcelain was frequently marked with an ink stamp. 

Prices for the earlier Bloch and Eichwald pieces can be quite high though they never really approach those of the finest English, French and German majolica. Later pieces are generally much more affordable often because their hybrid nature isn’t recognizable as majolica.