Fake & Repro Marks:

[1] : Austria

Sooner or later you are bound to bump into one of these and of course they are not really identified or it's at least very easy to prove that given 'real' information is bogus. Fact is that these items came up during the mid- to late 1980s and are actually well known as reproductions - at least between German antiques dealers. Depending on source of information these items were made in Korea or Taiwan.

Thanks to Bill Bennett I have a nice picture of a vase bottom that has been scraped open to show the material used: the item was simply made from dirty leftover stuff and then whitewashed!

Mark Comment:

Not only is the impersonation of a few well-known marks pretty obvious but the mixed caps/completely uppercase word 'Austria' is also always in the same typeface. Please hold in mind that the examples shown here are *not* all versions available, there is at least one more in green floating around!

Marks

Image 1-01

Interlocking 'V A' claimed to stand for 'Vienna, Austria' above 'AUSTRIA'.

Image 1-02

'Plaue' lookalike.

Image 1-03

'Vincennes / Sevres' lookalike.

Image 1-04

'Amphora' lookalike.

Image 1-05

Mark shows a swallow (German: 'Schwalbe'. As if that matters).

Image 1-06

Spread-wing eagle and a banner with 'HANDPAINTED' above 'AUSTRIA'.