Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach

Mettlach, Saarland.
Hersteller / Manufacturer.

Known dates: 1809 to the current day. Founded by Jean-François Nikolaus Boch III. Born 1782. Died 1858
Production of relatively low quality steins began in the early 1840's. However it was the products sent to the World Exhibition, held in Antwerp in 1885, which gave us the works of art we know today. Production reduced considerably around 1912, due to recession in Europe. Then in 1921 a disastrous fire destroyed all the moulds, manufacturing secrets and documentation of the Mettlach factory. Stein production restarted again in the 1970's.

The following designers either designed the pottery for Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach, or put their designs on standard pieces.
P.B. (name unknown) R.Buch MC (name unknown) T.C. (name unknown) Bertha Czegka H.D. (name unknown)   Emil Dorner   Ludwig Foltz II   H. Fuchs   C. Görig
Ignatz Guggenburger   Matthias Hein   Adolf Hengeler Ludwig Hohlwein   Otto Hupp   C.K (name unknown)   G.K.(name unknown)   Nikolaus Lessel   Carl Moos
Adelbert Niemeyer   Fritz Quidenus   Richard Riemerschmid   Franz Ringer August Roeseler   Heinrich Schlitt   Hans.W.Schultz.
Johann Baptist Stahl Franz von Stuck Christian Warth E. Winterwerber

References: Villeroy & Boch Stein Collectors Stein Collectors 2 Porcelain Marks & More Dr. Thérèse Thomas

Impressed mark. Dated 1836 - 1855
Not necessarily from the Mettlach factory.

Old impressed mark on stein
currently known as Mettlach #42.
Not necessarily from the Mettlach factory.

Early Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #216, dated 1844 - 1st half of the 1870's, complete with "Brauerstern", Brewer's Star lid, has been seen with the four marks immediately below. Thought to have been designed by Ludwig Folz II, it did not appear in the 1885 catalogue.

Unusual "2" on the base of the featured Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #216 immediately above.

This mark, also seen on the base of Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #216, is dated 1860's - 1870's.

Wappen, Eagles & Exhibition Medallions applied to a mug which includes the moulded date 1822-1844.
A smaller version has been seen on the base of Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #216. The smaller version (below) was used between 1844 & 1860.

22mm wide version moulding, as described above, on the base of an un-numbered mustard pot. Note the lower definition of the moulding.

Applied mark also seen on the base of Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #216, is dated 1852 - 1872.

Castle stein with turret handle.
Impressed "32" with "9" or "6" to the side. Proven to be one of Foltz's designs made prior to the 1885 catalogue. Possible dates c.1860 - c.1885.
Not necessarily from the Mettlach factory.

Barrel stein. Impressed "675" with "7" to the side.
Possibly one of Foltz's designs made prior to the 1885 catalogue. Possible dates c.1860 - c.1885.
Not necessarily from the Mettlach factory.

Applied mark 1852 - 1872.

Impressed "Patent Mark", used between 1880 - 1899.
This example dated c.1882.

"V&B Delft". Painted mark. Between 1894 - 1925/7.
This version dated 1913.

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931.
This version dated 1899.

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. Reg. U.S. Patent Office, created for the Chicago Exhibition of 1893.
This version dated 1911.

Ink stamps on a blank #1526, dated 1896. "Mercury" Ink stamp. 1874- 1909. Marked "Made in Germany" as required by the U.S.A Representative McKinley's Tariff Act of the 1st October 1890. I am informed that D.H.H.N.O. stands for D.H. Holmes, New Orleans.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1905 - 1909.
Charles E. Hires Co. root beer. This version dated 1907.

Coloured ink stamp, dated 1926. This mark #1526/566 was one of only three issued.

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931.
c/w "Gegen Nachbildung Geschützt", dated 1891.

The brewery flask above, with its Cyrillic lettering
was used for beer transportation in the Russian market. There is a clip missing on the front lip.

These are the basemarks on the brewery flask above.

Flasks, similar to the one above, dated 1990, have both an iink stamped "M" inside a circle as shown immediately above, or just an impressed "M".

Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #2692, dated 1901

Basemark on featured stein above. Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #2692, dated 1901

"V&B Delft" painted mark. Mould #5013.

Impressed "Combined VB" Mark. 1885 - 1895.

Moulded "Banner" mark. Believed to be circa 1883 - 1888. N.B. Date figures for 1883 - 1887 are shown inside a rectangle.

Impressed "Patent" mark used between 1880 and 1899. N.B. date figures for 1883 - 1887 are shown inside a rectangle, this particular example is 1885.

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931. c/w "Gegen Nachbildung Geschützt", N.B. date figures for 1883 - 1887 are shown inside a rectangle, this particular example is 1887.

Impressed "Patent" mark used between 1880 and 1899. N.B. This example shows the date year written in full, i.e. 1883.

"Abbey" Ink stamp. Reg. U.S. Patent Office, created for the Chicago Exhibition of 1893. This version dated 1914. (U.S.A entered WW1 in 1917.)

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1874- 1909. Marked "Made in Germany" due to legislation such as the British Parliamentary "Merchandise Marks Act" of 23rd of August 1887. "Plaque" Ink stamp circa 1888 - 1902. This version dated 1892. The Plaque mark applies only to P.U.G pieces, handpainted from a transfer outline.

Impressed "Patent" mark used between 1880 and 1899. This version dated 1885.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1874- 1909

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1874- 1909

Mercury mark on plate, dated between 1947 and 1956.

V&B-Mettlach #1909 / Dec 673. The initials, of the designer of the transfer print "GL" are clearly visible on the post in the foreground. "GL" is not a currently known Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach decoration designer.

Moulded "Banner" combined with impressed "Abbey" mark. Believed to have been used between 1883 - 1888. This example is 1884.

Modern Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach impressed mark, dated 1979.

Modern Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach impressed mark, dated 1976.

Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #5225 base mark.

"Abbey" Ink stamp. Reg. U.S. Patent Office, created for the Chicago Exhibition of 1893. This version dated 1915. (U.S.A entered WW1 in 1917.)

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. Reg. U.S. Patent Office. This version dated 1936.

"Mercury" Ink stamp, 1874- 1909. Marked "Made in Germany" due to the British Parliamentary "Merchandise Marks Act" of 23rd of August 1887. This version dated 1908.

Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #1526, Dec.590, dated 1894.

Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #1526, Dec.590, dated 1894 as featured stein immediately above."Plaque" Ink stamp between 1888 - 1902. This mark applies only to P.U.G pieces, handpainted from a transfer outline.

"Plaque" ink stamp. Circa 1888 - 1902. This mark applies only to V.B. #1526 P.U.G pieces, handpainted from a transfer outline.

Variation on "Plaque" ink stamp, on a V.B #1526. Circa 1888 - 1902.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1874- 1909. Marked "Made in Germany" due to the British Parliamentary "Merchandise Marks Act" of 23rd of August 1887 / Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931. This version dated 1897.

"V&B Delft". Painted mark. Between 1894 - 1925/7

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931 c/w impressed "Patent" mark 1880 - 1899. This version dated 1885. This stein is signed, C. Warth.

Impressed "Abbey" Mark. 1882 - 1931. This version dated 1895.

The Villeroy & Boch identification is unusually on the stein side on this #1909/Dec702, dated 1892.

1/2 litre Villeroy & Boch - Mettlach #1909, transfer printed under glaze. Impressed date stamp of 1905. Presumably a commemoration piece for the foundation of the original Spanish settlement in 1565.

Basemarks underglaze on the stein immediately above.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1921- 1933. Saar-Basin.

"Abbey" impressed mark c/w Saar-Basin which existed between 1920 - 1935. This version dated 1929.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1921- 1933. Saar-Basin. This example on a #1526 stein, dated 1929.

"Mercury" Ink stamp. 1921- 1933. Saar-Basin, c/w an unusual V&B/M inside circle.

Here is a version of the Saar-Basin Mercury mark. This time a brewery stein of Donner Bräu of Saarlouis impressed on the base, dated 1930.

Ink stamp believed to be a post WWII mark from the Mettlach factory, used by the Forces Françaises en Allemagne.