Italian, Israeli, British, French ... it's also marked - but what marks?

I think this is superb!

I believe it is a vide poche rather than an ashtray. But as for the marking underneath ... what do you make of them? I can see what I think are letters (surely not Hebrew?) ... but I am not sure which way up it goes! The code (if it IS a code) can either be 9-5 or 9-S one way, or 5-6 or S- 6 the other way!! (I think 9-S).

The marks will tell us WHERE it comes from. Or, better still, one of you will recognize it and reveal all!

2" high 5" diameter.

Is this a tourist piece? How old is it? I bought it in France ... but I am not convinced its French.

I look forward to your exciting comments! Thank you.

 

Take out Israel and Britain and add Spain?

 

The yellow and the decoration on the outside reminds me of Quimper, but the inside doesn't. Besides, Quimper is usually more glossy.
But my vote is for France, purely based on a vague resemblance to Quimper.

 

Well, I am looking at a Talavera (Spain) pot ... the writing looks almost exactly the same as on my little pot ... but WHAT does it say?!

So - I'm going with you Bakersgma ... and I want to know more - like age ... and those marks!!

 

I have never seen that dull glaze on Talavera, but then I haven't seen every Talavera piece ever made.

 

I don't think its a Talavera pot ... but the writing is useful in helping me to understand what on earth I am looking at regarding the mark. I reckon its somewhere within the locale ... but where (time to get out that map!) ...

... Actually, I've changed my mind. I think this might be a Talavera pot. The mark underneath could say TALAVERA with what looks like MDUE above. But, as you say, all the talavera pottery I have seen is glossy not matt. So I'm a bit stumped by this. I also have a feeling that whilst this might not be very old, it could be a 70's type pot ... I'm just guessing ... but it doesn't say what some of the more modern ones say (such as "Made in Spain"), and the flower appears to be well painted (OK it will still be for tourists - so that implies it has been painted on a conveyor belt type system - just 'knock'em out')

 

It does say Talavera - not much room to spread out those letters!

 

Glad you see that too blooey ... now ... what about what is above it? Is it NIDUE? MDLIE? ... could it be the potters/decorators name? Also, I do not understand why I am not seeing yellow stripes - lots of blue ones! Nor are there many matt glazed pieces? What's that about? There are some Mexican ones - but this is definitely Spanish. And the age? A lot of the mid century pots have things like "Made in Spain" either written or stamped - the implication here is that this pot is an older pot, perhaps before the 60's. If I could just find another pot like this one then things could move! So ... if you see the name then I look forward to that ... in the meantime could it be IVIDUE? ...

 

Isn't before the 60s mid-century?
My mother collected Iberian ceramics (and other 'stuff'), none of her Talavera was marked Made in Spain.

 

Doh! Yes, you're right - on both occasions! ... I really haven't a clue what is what ... it's the excitement of the hunt! Must be the tablets!

 

It is the forum, I regularly get in a muddle here. But there are always helpful people to set me straight.

 

Sweet. Talavera Spain fer sure. The lettering above is "MAVE," a well known studio which began producing in 1969. Lots of that shape floating around the internet. All identified as ash trays.

Debora

 

Brilliant Debora! Thank you very much. Where did they get this style of writing from?? ( Don't answer that!) ... anyway, I can speak ... I mean look at my avatar ... its a self-portrait!! (Did I hear a snigger?). Seriously, can sleep deep tonight!

 

Cuneiform script




This is how Debora was able to decipher it:

 

... Any Jewelry you're kidding - right?! Look - I'm British ... and we don't have that kind of humour we think of it as humus ... that's why we're dirty little sods!!

 

Yep.

 

MAVE is an acronym made up of the initial letters of the founders' first names -- Mariano, Alfonso, Vicente and Emilio. (In case anyone asks.)

Debora