Posted 2 months ago
Ourbag
(17 items)
Found this in the rafters of the basement , has been here since the 1950s . Marked AMHA Holland - 6 3/4 " tall - 5 1/2 " across the top - appears to be a Greek ? Symbol on it .
Possibly a chalice ? Any help identifying the item or the symbol would be greatly appreciated .
Thankyou .
Het Ambacht Haalderen (1947) is a Dutch company in Haalderen, specialized in making household and decorative pottery.
History
Het Ambacht was founded after the Second World War as an employment project for young people who had not been able to receive vocational training during the war years. The aim was to promote the cultural and social interests of Haalderen. A foundation was set up for this purpose with subsidies and a loan from Volksherstel Gelderland, the province and the municipality. The initiators included mayor Wilhelmus van Elk, pastor Taeke van der Wey and G. Janssen Sr. The craft center would have several components, but only the pottery got off the ground.
There were initially five potters employed, who made household pottery. Piet Kurstjens worked there as an instructor from 1947, he was later succeeded by Peter Hinze. After the arrival of Joop Puntman, decorative objects and wall sculptures were also made. He was associated with Het Ambacht as a designer from 1949 to 1969. Other employees included Henk van Meurs and Kees Schoppema. Work by Het Ambacht is signed with "Het Ambacht Haalderen" or "AMHA".
Het Ambacht was initially located on the Van der Mondeweg and in 1954 moved into the former primary school, where the pottery is still located.
Alpha and Omega, and Chi Rho
Alpha (A) and Omega (?) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet signifying the beginning and end of life. They are often used in conjunction with the Chi Rho (PX) symbol.
Chi Rho (PX) is an early symbol used by Christians formed from the first two letters of the Greek word for Christos – ???????.
Thankyou so much for the information . A relative had suggested it may have come from the nearby church that had been demolished in 1968 . The information on the pottery company was helpful as well . Much appreciated . Roy
This is wildly cool!! Love this !!