BIHL back-stamps

In general, BIHL pottery is characterized on the bottom by: 

  1. A back-stamp
  2. A model number
  3. Optionally, a size number
  4. Optionally, some additional miscellaneous marks or numbers
 
1. A back-stamp
In general, BIHL pottery has the well-known BIHL Czechoslovakia back-stamp printed in black, red, or green on the bottom. Note that Czechoslovakia is written without a hyphen. So, BIHL pottery having this back-stamp has been produced later then 1918 (or 1920)! In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” (ISBN 1-57080-061-8 (PB)) the BIHL Czechoslovakia back-stamp is numbered as P6110.
 

BIHL Czechoslovakia (P6110)
 
Some other remarkable BIHL back-stamps are known as well. Pictures are given below.
 

BIHL Produce of Czechoslovakia (P6110a)
   

coming soon

 BIHL Germany (P6110b)
   

coming soon

 BIHL Sudetengau (P6110c)
   

coming soon

 BIHL (P6110d)
   

coming soon

 BIHL Czechoslovakia Handpainted (P6110e)
   
For several reasons, other back-stamps are also found on BIHL pottery. Therefore, it is not always clear if a piece of pottery originates from the former BIHL factory. However, based on similar 4-digit model numbers on the bottom and/or similar patterns on the pottery one can most often clearly indicate if a piece of pottery is produced by the former BIHL factory.
 

Sometimes the Czechoslovakia back-stamp (Czechoslovakia in a circle, without a hyphen) is printed in black on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is listed as P603. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible, however. Sometimes, a back-stamp is found with the name Cechoslovakia, instead of Czechoslovakia.  In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is listed as P600.
   

Czechoslovakia (P603)
   

Cechoslovakia (P600)
   

Sometimes the Made in Czecho-Slovakia back-stamp is printed in black or red on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P801. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible, however. Sometimes, a back-stamp is found with the name Made in Cechoslovakia, instead of Made in Czechoslovakia.  In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is listed as P811.

   

Made in Czechoslovakia (P801)
   

Made in Cechoslovakia (P811)
   

Sometimes the Erphila Czecho-Slovakia back-stamp is printed in black, red, or green on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P1401. Erphila was an import company owned by Theodore Ebeling and Frederick Reuss of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). Ebeling and Reuss emigrated in 1886 to the United States of America from Germany as teenagers. In 1886, they became partners with JEF Zeh who had a glassware and china firm. The company was known as Zeh, Ebeling & Reuss & Co. The company imported porcelain, earthenware, and ironstone from several Bohemian, Czechoslovakian factories and other European countries, including toys, dinnerware, and gift items. In 1900, Zeh withdrew from the company and it was then known as Ebeling & Reuss Co. It moved to Devon, Pennsylvania (USA). The company remained in the Ebeling & Reuss families. In 1988 the company went bankrupt. At that time, Ronald Rapelje joined the company. In 1992 Rapelje purchased the assets of the company and moved it to Allentown, Pennsylvania (USA).  

Note that Ebeling & Reuss did NOT manufacture ceramics itself; they just imported pottery and replaced the manufacturers mark with their own. In literature it is not mentioned from which Bohemian or Czechoslovakian pottery factories they imported ceramics. The Ebeling & Reuss back-stamp is Erphila. The Erphila back-stamp is an abbreviation for Ebeling & Reuss Philadelphia. Their other mark is E&R, Inc.
 

Sometimes the ERPHILA ART POTTERY Czecho Slovakia back-stamp is printed in black, red, or green on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P1420.

 

Sometimes the Erphila Czecho-Slovakia back-stamp is printed in black, red, or green on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P1460. The pattern, in this case Oxford, is sometimes added to the back-stamp.
 

Erphila Czecho-Slovakia (P1401)
   

Erphila Art Pottery Czecho Slovakia (P1420)
   

Erphila Czecho-Slovakia (P1460)
 

Sometimes the Registered Celebrate Made in Czechoslovakia back-stamp is printed in black or green on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P2301. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible, however. Sometimes the Celebrate Registered Czechoslovakia back-stamp is found on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P2300.
 
Celebrate was an importer’s mark by the Borgfeldt Company of New York, New York (USA). George Borgfeldt was born in 1833 in Meldorf (Germany). In 1855 he immigrated to Nashville where he started a trading business company in 1861. In 1881 he moved to New York where he started the George Borgfeldt & Co trading company. Borgfeldt imported pottery from several Bohemian and Czechoslovakian pottery factories, including the former BIHL Company.
 

Registered Celebrate Made in Czechoslovakia (P2301)
   

Celebrate Registered Czechoslovakia (P2300)
 

Sometimes the Trademark Coronet Czechoslovakia Registered back-stamp is printed in green on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P2500. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible, however. A more or less similar back-stamp has a less high crown in the back-stamp. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P2501. Coronet was also an importer’s mark by the Borgfeldt Company of New York, New York (USA).

 

Coronet Czechoslovakia Registered (P2500)
   

Coronet Czechoslovakia Registered (P2501)
   

Sometimes the Produce of Czechoslovakia back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. In the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America” this back-stamp is indicated as P6300. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible.
 

Produce of Czechoslovakia (P6300)
 

Sometimes the WIDO back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. BIHL, is not possible.
 

Wido
 

Sometimes the Eljeco Holland back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. BIHL, is not possible.
 

Eljeco Holland
 
Sometimes the Vedeka Holland back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. the BIHL factory, is not possible. However, based on similar 4-digit model numbers on the bottom and/or similar patterns on the pottery one can most often clearly indicate if a piece of pottery is produced by the former BIHL factory. In addition, sometimes the Vedeka Holland handpainted back/stamp is observed.
 

Vedeka Holland
 

Vedeka Holland handpainted
 
Sometimes the Made in Bohemia back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”. A clear association with a pottery factory, e.g. BIHL, is not possible.
 

coming soon

 Made in Bohemia
 
Sometimes the GJZ back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”.
 

coming soon

 GJZ
 
Sometimes the Spenzo Amsterdam back-stamp is printed in black on the bottom. This back-stamp is NOT mentioned in the book “Czechoslovakian Pottery – Czeching Out America”.
 

Spenzo Amsterdam
 
 
Based on similar 4-digit model numbers and/or similar patterns on a piece of pottery one can most often clearly indicate if a piece of pottery is part of the BIHL Art Pottery collection.
 
2. A model number
In nearly all pieces of BIHL Art Pottery a 4-digit model number is engraved in the bottom. For this reason the BIHL Art Pottery collection in this book is arranged according to this 4-digit model number. The lowest 4-digit model number found so far is number 1084; the highest number found is 4468. Sometimes the 4-digit model number is hard to read and in a few pieces of BIHL Art Pottery the 4-digit model number is even missing. In Chapter 4, the BIHL Art Pottery collection, pieces of pottery without a 4-digit model number are indicated with the NoNxxx model number.
 
3. Optionally, a size number
In some cases of BIHL Art Pottery a size number is, besides the 4-digit model number, engraved in the bottom. This 1-digit size number is a measure for the size. Clearly, in the known examples available, the 4-digit model number is the same for each piece of BIHL Art Pottery.
 

Vases with the same model number,

with different size number however.
 
In the picture above, the 4-digit model number for each vase is the same (being 2733). The patterns on each vase are also identical. The size and, as a consequence, the size numbers engraved in the bottom (respectively 1, 2, and 3) differ.
 
4. Optionally, some miscellaneous marks
In some cases, however, additional numbers are printed in different colours on the bottom of BIHL Art Pottery. The background of these printed numbers is not known at this moment. In the picture below, several additional numbers are printed on the bottom of vase, having model number 2106.
 

Miscellaneous marks