Featured I'm sure these were a classic of their period; but there are of problems...

First, I don't know what that period was; and second, the back-marks are all in poor condition due the being printed above the glaze. Goodle Lens doesn't get a sniff of it.

The relief pattern is is very dirty in in the crevices. I've only just started; but have tried soaking in very hot water. Scrubbing with a toothbrush and washing-up liquid, wiping with acetone, the same with lighter fluid. I have samples swimming in diluted 15% vinegar, and also in diluted bleach. I think the scrubbing might have made a very little bit of headway.

It was bought this morning at a French Brocante. 6-saucers, 3-cups and a lidded sugar bowl.

The only letters on the back-mark that I can clearly pick out are "FST*".

Where do I start with all of this?

 

I have found an Italian pottery that opened in the 1780's, Este Ceramichewn on Porcellane. At Ebay.it there is a relief moulded vase that uses the same diamond pattern as shown on the above sugar bowl, uses the same faded back-mark, and has dirt similar, but to a lesser degree than has mine.

The advert claims it is porcelain, although I also thought that the base of porcelain items was left unglazed. It, like mine is glazed. I certainly cannot see shadows through it.

Now to search more to find a date.

 

Thank you, I will remember that; but I am having second thoughts about cleaning them. Having now found the manufacturer and seen a few of the moulded reliefs they made, they all have similar marks and similar areas of dirt. Perhaps it is a sort of patina the design gathers after many years.

I shall write to the company tomorrow and hope that the respond with a date range for that specific backmark. None of the sellers on Ebay.it have any idea of age.

 

Is it dirt, or the remains of gilding?

 

The blue mark had me thinking it said Nestea - aka Nestle. Nope. However, to get the brown muck out, denture tablets would be the first thing to try. If it's staining. either leave it alone or find some hydrogen peroxide and a container with a lid. The strong version used in beauty shops, if available, would be your best bet. If not, use regular. Put the cup in the container, pour the chemical over it, and close the lid and let sit for 24+ hours. It's the method used to get rid of tea stains and coffee stains on porcelain in the USA. The regular hydrogen peroxide is used as a disinfectant here and is even used as a mouth rinse, so it's fairly safe to use.

 

Good question, I am emailing them today and will ask, although the other examples I have seen are in varying degrees the same.

 

I took what I thought was dirt off something once and it turned out to be remnants of gilding. I go with moreotherstuff on this.

 

Heres a better photo of the back stamp

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1673300638/este-ceramics-vase-with-flowers-italy

 

Our dearly treasured Walter responded to someone about the mark on his site. Below is alot of his remark.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/italianpotterymarks/este-vase-t68.html

The company takes its name from the historic town of Este in the province of Padua (near Venice).The factory "Este Pottery and Porcelain" was founded in 1893 by the merger Brunello di Giovanni Battista with the factory of Varion Franchini, both active since the mid 18th century, with the same type of production based on pottery tableware, figurines and monumental centerpiece .
Este porcelain established itself as an internationally important porcelain firm in 1956 when Giovanni Giorgini Battista re-opened the factory after the end of World War II. The factory is located in the same building occupied by the original 'Este Ceramiche Porcellane' created in 1753, thus making Este one of the oldest ceramics factories still in use in the world. Today, the factory is owned by Giorgini's grandson, Giovanni Battista Fadigati.
Este's products are found in exclusive, high-end stores around the world but the majority of its export ends up the U.S. The Este mark shown on your vase dates the piece from the late 1950's through the 1960's.
Walter Del Pellegrino

 

I should mention that the mark in the link is a bit different for anyone not wanting to click on it.

 

I've often seen similar 'aging' on Italian pieces like the 'Capodimonte' style vase with flowers linked, to my eye the 'dirt' always appeared to be under the glaze whether matte or gloss...

~Cheryl

 

I've seen three examples online with the blue mark and they are all described as 1950s. Can't seem to find a website that gives an actual age range wffn that mark was used though.

 

Still dearly treasured... I'm glad that some of his vast well of information on Italian ceramics is still available.

 

I miss Walter. He was so helpful to me on many occassions.
As to the task at hand - if all your cleaning methods have produced only a modest effect on the staining I would assume the staining is original to the item and leave it be. It seems to me I've come across similar items (not necessarily Italian) and it was a decorative technique used on white and off-white items, usually tea sets for some reason, to give the items an antiqued look and enhance the lines of the mold.