Arklow Back Stamps

One of the most popular questions relating to Arklow Pottery is about dating ware. We can get some clues from the backstamps used, but dates were not included on the stamps so it can be tricky to pinpoint the exact year of production.

Below, Antiques Specialist Chantal Fortune has outlined some indicators that may help you date your Arklow Pottery pieces.

• From when Arklow Pottery opened in 1934 and up until 1949, the back stamps generally show ‘Eire’, ‘Ireland’ or ‘Made in Ireland’ on some, yet not all pieces.
• After 1949, Ireland became a Republic and products from many industries, including Arklow Pottery, stated very clearly and proudly ’Made in the Republic of Ireland’. This remained all throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s and into the 1970’s.
• During the 1960’s it became popular to add the pattern name to some of the back stamps.
• In the early 1970’s Ireland joined the EC European Communities and while this did not have a clear influence on the back stamps it did open doors to the Japanese, and by the late 1970’s Noritake was in management.
• Some 1970’s back stamps were newly designed with stylised new lowercase ‘a’ logo.
• 1980’s and 1990’s there were some back stamps that sadly no longer said made in Ireland.