Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. > Belgium and the Netherlands Glass
"Belge" mark in glass hen on nest covered dish
Anne Tique:
The only thing I know about the marks 'Belge' and 'Fait en Belgique' is that they were marks to avoid import taxes. Several models from Inwald, Walter and Brockwitz etc can be found, as you know, with these marks. By marking them at the place of manufacture, there were no taxes to be paid once they were imported and it was a clever way to avoid them....something to do with law and legislation. The marks mentioned are very often attributed to Scailmont but there were 35 factories just in Wallonia at the time, so it's difficult to pinpoint the importer.
The only way is through catalogues I guess, I haven't got anything mentioned in books and I have been looking for some time now to find an answer to that question.
Jay:
However only a few of the 30 had the resources for pressed glass, and these pieces seem to date from a period when most of the smaller Belgian factories were already struggling or dead.
If they were really made in Belgium then they would look more like Luxval?! or something else that we would recognise by colour, press-quality, hand finising. seams, etc.
The quality and date (and a possible explanation for the fake mark) might be Preciosa? They -see wikipedia - (and others) would also have been prepared to copy the (VSL) mark 'Fait en Belgique' from an example and make a new base plate. They probably made a spelling error when casting the 'BELGE' base plates LOL! and being part of the state in the East they were not likely to worry about copyright law either!
Of course they/whoever will (also) have been trying to avoid duties and tariffs etc. by this little deception.
Anne Tique:
--- Quote ---However only a few of the 30 had the resources for pressed glass, and these pieces seem to date from a period when most of the smaller Belgian factories were already struggling or dead.
If they were really made in Belgium then they would look more like Luxval?! or something else that we would recognise by colour, press-quality, hand finising. seams, etc.
--- End quote ---
This is exactly what I was trying to say … from what I understand, they were not made in Belgium, they didn't see Belgian soil until they were imported.
Jay:
I'm reading and re-reading both on internet and doc sources, and I want to substantively quash the myth that seems to re-ignite the flame. Maybe I'm touchy because people think that there is an omission on my site, so now I'll put in a clearer explanation for context.
Seems all the experts are agreed! :)
"Items marked "BELGE" have NO proven link to the country of Belgium, and were NOT manufactured there!" (It is possible that the same factory also misused a 'FAIT EN BELGIQUE" press-mark (cf Val St Lambert)
Anne Tique:
Yes i think you're right there, the only link these pieces had was that they were sold in Belgium and that's as far as it goes.
Re 'Fait en Belgique' being used by VSL, I've only come across signatures 'VSL - Belgique' or 'VSL- Belgium' but always with VSL and without 'Fait en'.... Never just 'Fait en Belgique'.
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