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VINTAGE VILLEROY & BOCH - GERMANY

Found these at goodwill , made in germany . im assumimg that these were made and designed in the 1980's or early 1990s or i could be wrong . they are very unique and beautiful in there own way as well. these are so universal , that i bet you could use these beside for drinking .

____________VILLEROY & BOCH ____________________

In order to survive on the European market the two former rivals Jean-François Boch and Nicolas Villeroy decided to merge their three factories to form one business enterprise. In 1836 the 'Villeroy & Boch' company was founded and soon started its advance on European market leadership, especially after the marriage of the Villeroy and Boch children in 1842 that bonded both families together even further. The company started to greatly expand its product range in 1843 and one of the first larger investments was the founding of the 'Cristallerie' glassworks in Wadgassen, a factory that still supplies products complementing the tableware range up until today.

From 1846 onwards 'Villeroy & Boch' supplied tableware and decorative objects to all areas of Germany and that success was soon followed by a revolutionary new process in tile manufacture. The invention of dry compression moulding in Septfontaines was not only a milestone in company history, it greatly influenced the whole industry and in principle, tiles all over the world are still made in the same way even today. By the year 1850, full range production of high-quality bone china and marble-like parian earthenware had been established, followed by multi-colour pattern printing for decoration purposes; the company now not only supplied all European markets but had also managed to find its place on the North and South American market.

Another important step in the company history was the introduction of newly-developed floor tiles during 1852 which were particularly attractive and hard-wearing, resulting in the so-called 'Mettlacher Platten' becoming incredibly successful throughout the world. Demand was so great that the Mettlach factory actually became the first European factory specialised in tile manufacture alone. Needing to expand, the company took over a factory in Merzig on the River Saar during 1879 and next to the normal tiles that factory also produced terracotta items that were used in the upcoming new area of business of architecturally applied ceramics. Both production lines were an immense success and the factory in Merzig soon evolved into the largest manufacturer of floor tiles and terracotta anywhere in the world.

Highly specialized factories proved extremely promising and around 1882 the main focus of the Mettlach factory was the production of washing vessels which were used by people from all walks of life. Production of normal earthenware and majolica items was distributed to other factories, for example the Villeroy & Boch, Niederlassung Schramberg which existed between 1883 and 1912; gradually however all basins and jugs were pushed aside to make room for ceramic sanitary ware as we know it today. In 1899 the large-scale production of ceramic sanitary ware like bathtubs, sinks and WCs in a new type of material similar to pipe-clay started at the works in Merzig and shortly afterwards, the revolutionary slip-casting process followed, drastically reducing production costs and making bathroom equipment affordable for everyone.

Following the separation of the Saar region from the German Reich in 1920 as a result of First World War, the factories located there were no longer available and 'Villeroy & Boch' compensated this by acquiring factories like the Steingutfabrik und Kunsttöpferei Franz Ant. Mehlem in Bonn as well as the 'Mosaikfabrik Deutsch-Lissa' near Breslau (1920-1945) which was later followed by the 'Steingutfabrik Torgau' (1926-1945). It should be noted that between 1923 and 1935, the factories located in Germany were grouped as a limited corporation with its main office in the city of Dresden.

As always, 'Villeroy & Boch' showed perfect timing and the success achieved was quite impressive even when compared with todays standards. Always on the lookout for new inspiration, revolutionary new ideas like that of the Bauhaus movement were taken up by 'Villeroy & Boch' during 1930 and the style reflected in the entire product range. At that time, 'Villeroy & Boch' employed around 10,000 people but the Recession took its toll and by 1931 the factory in Bonn and the 'Steingutfabrik Wallerfangen' (1790-1931) had to be closed. After 1935, the limited corporation was dissolved and all factories were treated as single firms with a general office in Mettlach.

During the Second World War the factories in all parts of Germany were considerably damaged and after the war the works in 'Deutsch-Lissa' near Breslau as well as the factories in Dresden and Torgau were expropriated; the works in the Saar Basin were integrated into the French economic area. Once again, the company had lost great parts of its production capacity, but this dark period in company history did not last for long. Concentrating on basic designs and supplying the market with sanitary items and tiles during the post-war years, 'Villeroy & Boch' was on its way to become a global enterprise. Slowly picking up speed, production of the new and particularly hard vitreous porcelain began at the Septfontaines factory in the year 1959 and after many hard years, the company finally advanced into areas never served before after selling the first ever large-scale shipment of tableware to Japan in 1971.

But 'Villeroy & Boch' also continued to gain popularity in other overseas markets and particularly in the USA. In 1975 it was obvious that the significance of excellent designers creating everyday objects would increase and the company concentrated on producing outstanding designs. One of the boldest steps was to enlist the famous (some even say 'notorious') designer Luigi Colani who was to design a complete set of bathroom equipment. For 'Villeroy & Boch' it was the beginning of a new way of thinking: instead of just selling single products they now produced whole 'living areas' based on the ideas of designers. But the company did not forget the customers who still wanted more settled designs and so 'Villeroy & Boch' in 1976 purchased the traditional 'Heinrich' porcelain factory in Selb for this purpose.

Following the gradual changes on the world market, the whole enterprise was re-structured during 1982 and the factories that had until now worked on a decentralised basis were recombined to form three main divisions: tiles, sanitary ware and tableware/crystal. This process of specialization was followed in 1986 by the acquisition of the 'Gallo Design' dealer brand which expanded the range of well-laid tables in the direction of the younger customers; Paloma Picasso commenced her co-operation with 'Villeroy & Boch' by developing tiles, tableware, cutlery and crystal collections.

In 1987 'Villeroy & Boch' was converted into a public limited company and later extended its product range in the direction of plastic bathtubs and shower trays by acquiring a 50 percent stake in the Dutch 'Ucosan' company during 1989. In 1992 a majority interest in 'Alfðldi Porcelàngyàr', the largest Hungarian manufacturer of ceramic sanitary ware and second largest in the area of tile production followed. 'Villeroy & Boch' acquired a majority share in the company 'Mondial S.A.', a leading manufacturer of ceramic sanitary ware and tiles in Romania during 1996. Over time some product ranges were also dropped, for example V&B in October 2004 sold the 'Boch Fréres' segment (by then a tile wholesaler) to 'Point P.', a member of the French Saint-Gobain-Group.

What started off as a small venture became one of the largest and most advanced multi-layer manufacturers worldwide, producing many different items right up to the literal kitchen sink.

INFO FROM THIS LINK

http://www.porcelainmarksandmore.com/saar/mettlach_1/00.php