GOUDA-DESIGN
PZH factory information & typical marks
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This page shows you the more typical marks from PZH (Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland). Founded in the town of Gouda in South-Holland (Zuid-Holland) in 1898. Much more information on the PZH factory can be found throughout this site. On the far left - the factory as it looked in 1920. Picture from a postcard. |
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This picture shows the Zuid-Holland factory as it stood in August 2006. A sad sight when one can imagine the hustle and bustle of the place with its workers coming and going to their new workplace some 100 years ago. All of the factory, except the fronts you can see in the picture behind the streetlight and the water tower (not seen), has now been demolished. The water tower can be seen in the picture above. A new housing and apartment complex is to be built. The original fronts and water tower are to be retained in the new complex. Pictures taken by Kim Lindley in October 2003.
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See below for latest pictures.
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Pictures taken by Kim Lindley on a cloudy 1 November 2007. |
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PZH stands for "Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland".
It can be seen written as:- Plazuid, Plazuid-Holland or Zuid-Holland or Royal Zuid-Holland or many other variations. Some early items may not even say anything, perhaps only the pattern name or pattern name and a number and with or without the word Gouda. You think of a combination and there will be one! The marks can vary in size, shape, form, colour and legibility. One of the attractions of PZH and indeed any Gouda or other pottery, is the base mark. Is it not the first thing you do - turn the piece over and take a look? Study the pictures from our collection and those on the Collectors Galleries. You will see many styles and variations all as described above.
This
is backstamp is from the 'Rhodian' vase.
The numbers at the top and bottom usually (there are exceptions) refer to the model or mould and/or decor/ pattern of the piece. This number wasscratched into the clay and was nearly always duplicated by the painter.
In our example "Rhodian" is the pattern/decor name
and is usually just above the logo. Some early PZH pieces did
not have pattern names. Rhodian was also the name of an early
Zuid-Holland pottery firing process.
In the centre - the famous PZH
logo. To this day still commonly
known as the 'little house' or 'house' and we will often refer to it as thus. It is
in fact a representation of the Gate
of Lazarus, once the impressive
stone doorway of the old leper infirmary (around 1609) in the
town of Gouda in Zuid Holland. Later moved, it now forms part
of an entrance arch at the Het Catharina Gasthuis Museum (MuseumgoudA)
in Gouda. To this day, it is not known why this feature was chosen
by Egbert Estié as the trademark.
Below left is a black and white photograph of the doorway in its original setting. This wonderful picture was found as a very old postcard in an antique shop in Gouda. See also Tim & Linda with another postcard.
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These pictures, taken by Kim in May 2003, show the famous feature as it stands today at the entrance to the museum and gardens. Also seen, above right, is a view of the Gate from inside the gardens.
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Back to the base marks, to the left of the "house"
can be seen two triangles, one on top of the other. This is the date mark for
1928.
Early pieces used a capital letter. See more about date marks below.
On the right of the "house" the initials, mark or monogram of the
artist, decorator or painter/paintress. In this case, most probably belongs to Johannes
van Leeuwen, born in 1904 and worked at PZH Gouda from 1920 to
1938. To this day, many marks are still unidentified.
Incised (scratched on) or impressed marks were usually used to tell the decorator which pattern to paint or perhaps a particular glaze to apply. Other marks could refer to anything - special pieces for exhibitions, export codes, batch numbers, retailers, etc. In some cases employees would take home blank moulds, apply decorations themselves and use unknown (unknown to us today) marks and then sell them. It can be fun trying to work out the marks and very frustrating when you can't. Warning! - some of these can be seen for sale on eBay. see our Gouda Copies pages for pictures and information.
A stick-on label was sometimes used which may show a potter at a wheel and the words 'Zuid Holland - Gouda'. This one was used from about 1925 to 1928. A label with a serrated edge (like a postage stamp) which said (in capitals) 'PLAZUID' on the top and 'GOUDA-HOLLAND', was used for export in around 1928. A green/silver label with the words 'Royal Pottery Zuid-Holland' and 'Gouda' was seen on 1950 to 1955 items.
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Labels circa 1925 - 1928 |
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The pattern name and/or mould/model number were usually handwritten on the label. There are many other marks which PZH used and some examples are shown here. These marks are taken from items in our collection or from those of friends.
This is a picture of Egbert Estié the co-founder (with Adriaan Jonker Krijnszoon) of Zuid-Holland. To give the actual correct title of the factory - Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland, E.Estié & Co. Exact date of founding - 2 April 1898. Shown alongside him one of the the earliest mark of the Lazarus Gate in 1898. Here you can see two 'back to back' letter E's. They are for the initials of Egbert Estié. See here (Picture 77) for two items with this mark. It ceased in about 1903 when W.Hoyng and family took over the factory. No one knows exactly why Egbert chose this symbol nor why the Hoyng family removed the two EE's.
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This mark on the left is from 1898. Showing the first year letter 'A'. Painted by Bernardus Römer who worked for Zuid-Holland from 1898 to 1899. To the right the 'B' for 1899. Possibly the painters mark of J.A.H. Florack. |
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| This is an early mark about 1912 to 1915. No pattern name. Painter is Cornelis Arnoldus Jacobus Hornis. | The poingant 'question mark' mark of 1932. The future was unknown. | One of the early marks used by artist and designer Leendert Johan Muller. |
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| These stamped marks began in the 1920's/1930's and continued to the 1950's. Often seen on serviceware. Sometimes accompanied by a handpainted pattern name. On black painted items post WW2 and 1950's, the mark is often in a gold colour. The mark at the bottom with model number 2970 is for August 1939. |
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   Circa 1958-1964 mark. |
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- 1953 mark |
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Right - the 1948 date mark on a piece of Delft.
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Left - 1951 mark with impressed K.P.Z.H. and 'little house' with crown. |
Here are some other backstamp names used by PZH.
| "Holland De Molen" (The Mill) showing a windmill. This was used in the mid 1920's/1930 period. |
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"Balmoral Castle Pottery" - in the shape of a shield.
| "De Duif Den Dolder" - 'The Dove' from the town of 'Den Dolder'. Mark was a dove on the roof of a house surrounded with a pine or fir tree. Dates circa 1923 to 1932. Sometimes marked with the PZH date codes and painter. 'The Dove' was from the soap manufacturer of the same name. A beautiful mark! |
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| "Het Hert" - the figure of a prancing deer or hart. Seen mainly on items in the 1930's. This 'Het Hert' mark can also be seen in an early version from about 1910 -15. It looks like the face of a deer with large antlers. Adriaan Jonker Krijnszoon, who was the co-founder of Zuid-Holland, was also the owner of a pottery in Gouda called Het Hert (The Deer). This factory was next to the Zuid-Holland factory. In the 1930's the mark changed to the prancing deer. See item here. |
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There are many other PZH marks - we will show some here soon. All marks are taken from items in our collection or from those of friends.
It should be noted that not all marks are as clear as these shown above and on other pictures. Some of them are extremely difficult to decipher.
PZH - date marks
The date marks shown here refer only to Gouda PZH factories. They do not apply to any other factory.
From 1898 until 1905 they used a capital letter starting with 'A' for 1898 and ending with 'H' for 1905. So 1900 would be 'C'. What happened after 1905? No one knows. There are no known symbols on matte glaze pieces between 1906 and 1917.
The under-glaze 'P Decors' did have marks starting from 1901. P/a - 1901, P/b - 1902, P/c - 1903 and so on.
When bad times hit the factory during the depression from 1932 through to the end of WW2, just the word HOLLAND was often used. About this time in 1932, some 160 workers were 'laid off' by PZH.
The marks shown are drawn 'rough' to try and represent what you will see on backstamps. In reality sometimes they are very difficult to see. Look at actual pictures on Collectors Pages and Gouda Gallery.
Please note! - one has to be careful not to jump to conclusions that an individual letter appearing on a backstamp is a definitive indication of a 1898 to 1905 date mark! You must look at the rest of the marks, their positioning and the decor. A piece with a letter "H" for instance somewhere on the backstamp and then perhaps the wording "Royal Gouda" or "Plazuid" is obviously not made in 1905. We see a lot of mistakes like this (mostly on eBay) where it has happened. If you are in any doubt - then ask.
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| 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | circa 1933 - 1937 |
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1943/44 no marks | 1945 |
| The 1939, 1941/42 marks were almost the same as the 1921/22 ones, they often had a month number at the side. As did 1938 and 1939. |  |
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The above hand drawn marks are only a 'rough guide'. Please do not take them literally! The vertical lines on the 1918 to 1921 marks can often be quite different. Remember the painters each had their own style! Many other PZH marks, stamped and hand-applied can be found above, below and throughout this website.
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 A similar mark with the crown device can also be seen on Delft items from the 'Royal Delft Collection'. In those instances pieces date from circa 1947 and usually say 'Koninklyk - Delft'. |
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PZH - bases or backstamps
Here are some more bases.The one on the right the 'Candea' (or Candia) pattern is an early example. It has no date mark but is about 1910. The 'Goes' base in the middle, shows a vertical line with three "branches" either side giving a date of 1921. The single diamond shape is the date for 1922 and can be clearly seen on the 'Ali' pot. They are all pre 1928 so do not have 'PZH' on the markings. Look at the 'Emmy' mark (bottom centre) and you will see the number '7'. This indicates the piece was manufactured or painted in the seventh month - July.
Often collectors refer to Gouda pottery as being 'PZH' when it may include items prior to 1928. This is common to do so and is therefore not an error.
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