GinFor's Odditiques
(GINny and FORrest Poston's Oddities and Antiques)

A New Attribution

Questions? Requests? Comments? Purchase?

I was sure this one was West German, just not sure which company. Turns out that I was off by more than I thought.

The actual attribution should be Van Woerden Aardewerk or Vest (different names depending on whether the vase was made before or after 1974, but Dutch either way).

As I understand it, the correct attribution came when Mark Hill came across a vase with a label, which was the only marking method the company ever used.

There are also some cube-shaped "see-through" vases that should be attributed to the same company.

Here is the information as I received it from Els van Petersen:

"Hello Mark, I've got news on Van Woerden from Ger de Ree.

Information on van Woerden ( by Henk van Woerden 2006)

Vest Keramiek, Gouda (1963-1984)

The partners are the brothers Marius and Hugo van Woerden

Marius was born March 4, 1941, in Rijswijk. He is the creative inspirator of the ceramic production. His brother Hugo, born November 29, 1946, in Rijswijk, dealt with the business side of the industry.
Marius' was interested in ceramics from an early age onward, he spent a lot of time in the ceramic workshop of De Steenuil, Herenstraat- Rijswijk, which was across the road from his home. After school, he was always to be found in the workshop, helping the potters with all kind of chores. During his time in the army, doing national service in t Harde, he was taught by Frans Slot in Epe. This must have been around 1961-62. Some time after finishing his national service, in 1963, Marius started his own workshop in a rented shed from a horticultural company in Monster. His younger brother Hugo assisted him with all kind of activities. After about a year, this was in 1964, they could rent premises at a street called het Raam, in Gouda. From there they continued with the industry as Van Woerden Aardewerk. Hugo did mainly the business side and among other things, the canvassing. They left this site after about 10 years, somewhere around 1974 and they moved to larger premises at the Vest, also in Gouda. The name Vest Keramiek was introduced. At the height of their activities they had about 30 employees. In 1984 they stopped working in Holland and the brothers emigrated to Canada, where they started an industry in ceramic products in Norwich-Ontario, under the name Castle Ceramics. This company was in production until 1994. Marius is still living in Canada, Hugo is back in Holland again. Neither of them is nowadays active in the ceramic industry or busy with ceramic related activities. With hindsight they regret never having signed directly on the products, but only using a company sticker. "

Remember that all proceeds go to support good causes: my spouse, our cats (see the "staff" here), our creditors, my auction addiction, and the plumbing project that never ends.

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Art Pottery (American and European art pottery other than mid century items)

Pottery and Porcelain (Figurines, plates, vases, etc.)

Mid-Century Design (Mid Century pottery, currently featuring one of the best selections of studio and W. German pottery in the U.S.)

Mid Century Groupings

Studio Pottery (While many of these items can be found in other categories, they are also gathered here for those with a special interest in studio work.)

Glass (art glass, stemware, EAPG, Depression, Elegant, etc.)     

Metalware (Various metal items and misc. vases, inkwells, etc.)      

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Meet the Gin and the For

Meet the "staff"

The Cor-purr-ate Story (Glyph's Rise to Power)

Contact Information (Phone, etc.)

Essays and Information:

The Art of Attending Auctions: A Beginner's Guide

Site Review: TiffanyFakes.com

Book Review: Fat Lava, West German Ceramics of the 1960s & 70s

Collecting West German Pottery: Thoughts, Philosophy, and History

A Divine and Delightful Madness: An Intro to W. German Pottery

Learning the Basics about West German Pottery (This is the most in depth essay.)

West German Pottery Marks

W. German Companies, Designers, and Studio Potters

West German Picture Gallery and Identification Aid (pictures of items we've had over the last 3 years)

To Buy or Not To
Buy:  Going Where Price Guides End (thoughts about collecting, aesthetics, and health)

Get the Picture Straight: The Basics of Selling Glass and Pottery on the Internet (how to write item listings, matters of photography, etc.)

A Tribute to Fractured Fairy Tales (For No Reason But Fun)

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