fakes_grueby

Fakes

VAN BRIGGLE

The following items are deliberate fakes, made with the intention to deceive. If you have any additional information on these or other Fakes, Knock-offs, or Reproductions, please
e-mail us at: AmArtPotAssn@aol.com

Note: If you are submitting information for this page, please be as specific as possible, particularly in the area of what distinguishes the fake from the genuine article. Cite references to the genuine item when possible. Provide a clear photo of the fake item, either in 35 mm color print or JPEG format. Where possible, please include a photo of the base with any marks appearing as clear as possible.

Fake TILES Fakes of OTHER FORMS

ALERT
"Someone is 'faking' Van Briggle tiles. These 'fakes' are the best of the tile fakes. (Not the re-issues of earlier designs that the current Van Briggle Pottery has been bringing out since 1992; the re-issues are signed with 'VBT' in a box and the tiles are quite thin. See below.)

The fakes -- cleverly -- are not signed (most Van Briggle tiles of the 1907-1915 period indeed were not signed). These 'faked' tiles are very well done -- excellent murky glazes. Two patterns that have been faked are a black poppies design (two black abstract flowers with white centers against a dark green ground) and a vegetal cross-section design where the background is unglazed red-brown clay. Others may be being faked too. Consult a tile expert before buying Van Briggle tiles."

Shown below are views of FAKE Van Briggle tiles, together with several GENUINE tiles for comparison.

FAKE "Van Briggle" Black Poppies Tile

Currently faked version of the Van Briggle black poppies tile.

The glazes are unfortunately of excellent quality, very good imitations of the real ones.

On the fake, some of the green glaze has been streaked across part of the flower heads in an attempt to give the tile more character and complexity. The real tile doesn't need this boost and has a strict separation of glazes.

The fake tile's flower centers are yellow-white; The real tile's are white-white.

FAKE "Van Briggle" Black Poppies Tile Back

Back of the faked VB black poppies tile. Like the majority of the real VB tiles of the 1908 period, it is not signed.

It is in red clay. Compare it to the real VB red-clay tile-back [below].

Clay is too fine of texture and dark of color.

Grooves on the fake are too wide and produced by a light raking, while on the real tile they are deep, narrow, and scooped out.

On some fakes, the raking does not always cross the whole tile. (A Van Briggle vegetal cross-section design has been faked with the same clay-body as the faked black poppies tile.)

GENUINE Van Briggle Black Poppies Tile

Van Briggle black poppies tile from the 1908-1915 period.

It has a white clay-body. (See real VB white-clay tile-back image and description, below.)

Note that the glazes are very murky, rich, and complex.

GENUINE Van Briggle White Clay Tile Back

This is what a real, circa 1908 fully signed Van Briggle tile back looks like. It is triply marked:

The letters VBPCo are deeply impressed with printers type.

A three-digit number plus a single letter is deeply incised.

All four corners have "toast points" -- dark right-angled isosceles triangles that are the product of the stacking of the tiles in the kiln.

These toast points occur on both white-bodied and red-bodied VB tiles. The VB fakes on the market do not have toast points. If a purported VB tile does not come with toast points, one would want to have compelling reasons to believe that it is real.

GENUINE Van Briggle Red Clay Tile Back

Back of a real circa-1908 Van Briggle tile

Made in red clay.

Note the coarseness of the grain.

Note the narrow, deep, scooped out grooves.

Note the dark "toast points" at the corners. Compare with the red-clay fake tile back, above.

NEW - Van Briggle Black Poppies Tile

Current Van Briggle factory's reproduction of its circa-1908 poppies design.

Note the simplicity, bluntness, and thinness of the glazes. This and three other designs (lily, tulip, orchid) have been reproduced by the factory since 1992.

The post-1992 tiles are thin -- 3/8th of an inch thick, whereas the VB tiles from the 1908-1915 period run between 5/8th of an inch and a full inch thick.

The circa-1908 Van Briggle tiles were hand-pressed into plaster molds and so have a lively, irregular feel to them. The new tiles are made using linoleum-cut dies that are pressed into the clay with a high-compression screw-press. The result is a stiff, formal, mechanical feel to the tiles.

The four current tile designs can be seen on the homepage of the Van Briggle Pottery's web site: www.vanbriggle.com.
This is an open-stock item that sells for $32.50 full retail (July 26, 1999).

NEW - Post 1992 Van Briggle Tile Back

Overall view of the back of a post-1992 Van Briggle tile.

Note the heavily impressed tic-tac-toe lines.

Note light horizontal bands (from placement in the firing process). Van Briggle tiles from the circa-1908 period do not have these features.

Here, again, note the stiff, formal, mechanical feel to the tiles. Compare with older genuine tile backs, above.

NEW - Post 1992 Van Briggle Tile Back:
Signature Detail

Clustered signatures used on the four current tile designs:

"V.B.T." vertical,in box;

"Van Briggle / Tile" horizontal, on two lines; and

Conjoined stick-figure double-A.

All three signatures are impressed.

Van Briggle tiles from the circa 1908 period have none of these marks.

Unlike the new tiles produced by the current incarnations of the Pewabic Pottery, and the Moravian Pottery and Tileworks, the new Van Briggle tiles are not dated.

BACK

FAKE "Van Briggle" Vase and Base Marks

Hand incised, Van Briggle marks are easily faked, and often difficult to detect. They should not be used as the sole determinant.

Best guide is the shape and the glaze, combined with overall treatment of the bottom as shown in "The Collector's Encyclopedia of Van Briggle Art Pottery," Sasicki & Fania, 1993, Collector Books.

FAKE "Van Briggle" Vase
-- 4 1/4" high; red & brown, flowing over gloppy cream & white high glaze

Interesting pot, but not Van Briggle.

Not a VB shape

Not VB colors/glaze

Incised marks on fake vase.

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Note: The above information is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, the AAPA (including its Board of Directors, Webmaster and other members, individually and collectively) accepts no responsibility for any injury resulting from errors of omission or commission.

If you have information or links you feel should be added to this page, e-mail us at: AmArtPotAssn@aol.com

BACK

*GENUINE* Van Briggle Black Poppies Tile Van Briggle black poppies tile from the 1908-1915 period. It has a white clay-body. (See real VB white-clay tile-back image and description, below.) Note that the glazes are very murky, rich, and complex.
*GENUINE* Van Briggle White Clay Tile Back This is what a real, circa 1908 fully signed Van Briggle tile back looks like. It is triply marked: The letters VBPCo are deeply impressed with printers type. A three-digit number plus a single letter is deeply incised. All four corners have "toast points" -- dark right-angled isosceles triangles that are the product of the stacking of the tiles in the kiln. These toast points occur on both white-bodied and red-bodied VB tiles. The VB fakes on the market do not have toast points. If a purported VB tile does not come with toast points, one would want to have compelling reasons to believe that it is real.
*GENUINE* Van Briggle Red Clay Tile Back Back of a real circa-1908 Van Briggle tile Made in red clay. Note the coarseness of the grain. Note the narrow, deep, scooped out grooves. Note the dark "toast points" at the corners. Compare with the red-clay fake tile back, above.
*NEW* - Van Briggle Black Poppies Tile Current Van Briggle factory's reproduction of its circa-1908 poppies design. Note the simplicity, bluntness, and thinness of the glazes. This and three other designs (lily, tulip, orchid) have been reproduced by the factory since 1992. The post-1992 tiles are thin -- 3/8th of an inch thick, whereas the VB tiles from the 1908-1915 period run between 5/8th of an inch and a full inch thick. The circa-1908 Van Briggle tiles were hand-pressed into plaster molds and so have a lively, irregular feel to them. The new tiles are made using linoleum-cut dies that are pressed into the clay with a high-compression screw-press. The result is a stiff, formal, mechanical feel to the tiles. The four current tile designs can be seen on the homepage of the Van Briggle Pottery's web site: www.vanbriggle.com.	This is an open-stock item that sells for $32.50 full retail (July 26, 1999).
*NEW* - Post 1992 Van Briggle Tile Back Overall view of the back of a post-1992 Van Briggle tile. Note the heavily impressed tic-tac-toe lines. Note light horizontal bands (from placement in the firing process). Van Briggle tiles from the circa-1908 period do not have these features. Here, again, note the stiff, formal, mechanical feel to the tiles. Compare with older genuine tile backs, above.
*NEW* - Post 1992 Van Briggle Tile Back: Signature Detail Clustered signatures used on the four current tile designs: "V.B.T." vertical,in box; "Van Briggle / Tile" horizontal, on two lines; and Conjoined stick-figure double-A. All three signatures are impressed. Van Briggle tiles from the circa 1908 period have none of these marks. Unlike the new tiles produced by the current incarnations of the Pewabic Pottery, and the Moravian Pottery and Tileworks, the new Van Briggle tiles are not dated.