Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
Key points
- In a ceramics collection, the mark under the base is the first clue, never proof on its own.
- Earthenware, porcelain, stoneware: the nature of the piece changes its description, its value and its care.
- Condition (chips, hairline cracks, restorations) is documented piece by piece, with photos.
Ceramics collection: what to keep track of
A ceramics collection often mixes very different pieces: earthenware from an old factory, marked porcelain, stoneware by a contemporary ceramist, terracotta. Each has its own markers. The information to record is nevertheless always the same.
- The maker: ceramist, factory or workshop.
- The nature: earthenware, porcelain, stoneware, terracotta.
- The marks and stamps: painted, printed, impressed, incised signature.
- The decoration and glazes: colours, techniques, motifs.
- The edition: unique piece, small series, factory production.
- The condition: chips, hairline cracks, flaking, restorations, wear to the gilding.
Porcelain, marks and stamps
The mark of a piece of porcelain or earthenware is almost always found under the base. It tells you about the factory, sometimes the period, the painter or the gilder. A ceramist often signs with an impressed stamp or a signature incised in the clay. Record them as they are, without interpreting them, and photograph them close up.
A mark is not enough. The great factories have been copied, and a mark may have been added afterwards. The paste, the decoration, the quality of execution and the provenance must agree. Note on the record who identified the piece, and on what basis: invoice, expert, sale catalogue.
What a ceramics record contains
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Ceramist or factory, title or designation, date | Identify the piece. |
| Type (earthenware, porcelain, stoneware, terracotta), technique | Describe the object and adapt its care. |
| Marks, stamps, signature, inscriptions | The markers of identification. |
| Glazes and decoration | Tell two pieces of the same model apart. |
| Unique piece or edition, number | Place the piece within the production. |
| Dimensions, weight, number of elements | Check that a service or a garniture is complete. |
| Condition, condition reports, restorations | Document chips and hairline cracks, which weigh on value. |
| Provenance, publications, invoices | Trace the history of the piece. |
Before a loan or a move, a dated condition report with photos of existing chips avoids a great deal of argument.
Value and insurance
Ceramics break. An inventory with photos of each side and of the mark, an invoice and a valuation is the best evidence after a loss or a badly finished move. For a valuation, the file is prepared as for a painting: our guide preparing a valuation also applies to ceramics. Keep the successive valuations and adjust the insured value at each renewal.
Succession
An old piece of earthenware standing on a sideboard may pass for crockery in the eyes of the heirs. An inventory that states the factory, the mark and the valuation of each piece prevents it from going with the rest of the furniture. For the value to use in the estate, consult your notary (notaire). For a ceramist or their rights holders, the catalogue raisonné lists the pieces, including those that are unlocated.
Photos from your phone and sharing
Photograph each piece on a neutral background, from several angles, then the underside with the mark, and each defect in close-up. To submit a piece to an expert, share a selection through a password-protected link. Glassware and silverware are covered on the decorative arts and glass page.
With Collectalia
Collectalia manages your ceramics collection: one record per piece with ceramist or factory, type, marks and stamps, glazes, unique piece or edition, dimensions, condition and condition reports, provenance, photos taken from your phone by scanning a QR code, invoices and successive valuations. Location of each piece, insurance policies with a reminder before renewal, a Succession module, catalogue raisonné and free read-only access. Free trial.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.