James Bowen on wed 15 may 02
Whether the artist or craftsperson believes pots should
stand on their own merit and a legible signature is
unimportant, or has the belief a full legible signature and
date are required, this fact should be acknowledged. It is
important to buyers, and sellers whether they be users,
collectors, primary sellers or resellers that they be able
to identify the maker.
Most pots have marks of some kind. Many are well known, and
legible and thus easily identified. Too many have only
initials, symbols, chop marks, scratched signatures and
other marks only recognizable to the maker, their circle of
acquaintances, or very knowledgeable collectors, buyers, and
other ceramics fanciers.
Appreciation of ceramics seems to be on the rise.
I was at my friends shop yesterday in Denver. He is one of
the few dealers in the area that seeks out handmade ceramics
to resell in his store. His sources are the usual pickers,
thrift stores, flea markets, estates and garage sales.
We looked at many fine pots and could only guess at the
makers because of a lack of a knowledge base available to
us.
Maybe it's about time there was a website for pictures, or
drawings of such marks.
Could not this be a function of Clayart or the Potters
Council?
Would it not make sense that when publishers of magazines,
and books that feature the work of ceramists, show what
marks a buyer would expect to find on their work?
About the only times that I have been sure of the mark on a
piece that I have bought is when I have purchased it
directly from the potter and subsequently found pieces with
the same mark later at a reseller. Sometimes a publication
will include the identifying marks either accidentally or on
purpose, and this really helps.
Would it not benefit the maker to have their piece
recognized even after it has passed through many hands so
that later owners could not only appreciate it, but maybe
pursue later pieces from the same maker? This might create a
new customer for the potter if they are still working.
I know that the work of world famous potters with a large
body of documented work can be identified by consistent
themes and quality in their art. I have purchased fine pots
by Warren MacKenzie, Hamada, and the work of unknown Chinese
potters from antiquity based solely on this kind of
information.
So, how about some consideration for a central
clearinghouse for potters marks, and some consideration from
publishers to include such information along with pictures
of the ceramists works.
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