Villeroy & Boch: Looks Like a Fortune, Priced Like a Find

Your small vase appears to be a Villeroy & Boch Jasperware piece from the mid-to-late 19th century. The style is known for combining relief decorations and applied figures with a classical or mythical theme.

This vase has a cream-colored stoneware base and a classical Greek-style figure in a contrasting cream tone. It is reminiscent of the biscuit porcelain appliques of Parian-style ceramics, which imitate the look of marble. The applied leaves and other accents feature a platinum luster glaze designed to mimic the look of pewter or silver.

Villeroy & Boch is one of Europe’s oldest ceramic manufacturers, renowned for its fine porcelain and stoneware. It began in 1748 when François Boch and his sons started producing ceramics. In 1836, the company merged with the rival firm of Nicolas Villeroy to form Villeroy & Boch. Their Mettlach factory in Germany became famous in the 19th century for producing high-quality stoneware, including elaborately decorated steins, vases, and tableware. While they are often associated with Mettlach ware, not all their products fall under that category. Villeroy & Boch produced a wide range of relief-decorated ceramics, Jasperware-inspired pieces, and metal-accented stoneware throughout the Victorian and Art Nouveau periods. They have remained in business for over 275 years—an impressive feat.

Villeroy & Boch marks were often applied rather than incised, especially on stoneware and Mettlach pieces. The marks frequently appear in a raised, molded cartouche, part of the manufacturing process in which a separate piece of clay or slip was added before firing. This gives them a slightly dimensional, embossed look rather than the sharper, deeper effect of an incised mark.

This technique was common in 19th-century stoneware production, especially for companies like Villeroy & Boch, where molded decorations and relief work were key elements of their designs. The ceramic mark on the bottom of the base indicates a manufacturing period roughly between 1852 and 1872. A search of eBay, WorthPoint, and other auction sites shows this piece in good condition to be selling for between $65.00 and $100.00.

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