Can anyone ID mark on back of this tile?

[bekksa]

I have a vintage blue and white tile with an impressed mark on the reverse side.  I was hoping someone might either recognize the mark or be able to give me some idea of when and where it might have been made.  Top surface is glazed and has crazing.  Back is unglazed.  Dimensions:  6" x 4.5"  Any help would be greatly appreciated--I've been searching and have reached a dead end on my own.

Mark is diamond shaped and I think I can read KO and ON--not sure of the N--at the top (there is a crown at top center which separates these letters) .  The entire center of this mark appears to be a shield(?).  There are additional letters that surround that center "shield" in a U shape.  Some of those letters are hard to read but here goes:  Down the left side of that "U" are what looks like MOH.  Next, curving along the bottom of the "U" are two more letters that might be an N and A, and then two more that look like an E and then maybe thats a fancy B.  It's hard to be sure but there appears to be two more (rather faint) letters that curve upward on the right side to complete the "U" shape.   And then, below the shield and letters are some numbers.  They look a lot like 1650 (the 6 is rather faint) but I can't imagine that being a date so more likely it means something else related to the tile.  

[amazinggracehsts]

Delft tile perhaps?

[bekksa]

Thanks for the message.  I did check all of the marks I could find for Delft, which is an actual company.  No luck.  So it must be Delft-style.  I checked again based on your reply and did find that the crown at the top is very similar and even has a cross on top.  Interesting.  The search, though, goes on.....

[melda58]

I'm wondering if the letters are Cyrillic.   

Rita

[waxu_93]

maybe Russia made

[bekksa]

Well, it looks like you may be right.  I still can't figure out how to translate the letters/words on the back mark BUT your response and waxu_93's reply led me check out Russian tiles and I discovered some that are very, very similar.  The corner and inside border designs are almost exactly the same as mine.  The tiles that your replies led me to are on a tiled stove (blue and white tiles) in Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo (near St. Petersburg).  Apparently those tiles were based on Dutch style tiles popular at the time.

Thank you so much!  I feel like I'm getting a LOT closer.  And, maybe I'll never figure out the company who made this tile but at least now I have an idea of where to look.  If anyone can solve the mystery of the maker or help read the words in that mark, that would be great. 

[bekksa]

Just want to let you know that looks like you and melda58 are very likely right.  Thank you so much!  Still trying to figure out the makers mark but thanks to you guys, I'm getting closer.  🙂  

[melda58]

I tried using Google translate by entering the letters I saw starting from upper left using the Russian keyboard.  I got "Monplaisir" as the English translation, although it seems more like French.  Have no idea if this is even close but maybe you can look into it.

Rita

[melda58 · Accepted solution]

Taking it a step further I found this reference below to Monplaisir Palace in Russia - perhaps where the tile is from?  Here is a line from the description:  "Typically for Peter, Monplaisir displays an intriguing mixture of grandeur and homely comfort, with its pretty Dutch-tiled pantry..."

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/peterhof/monplaisir/

Rita

[bekksa]

I think you may be on to something!!!  I really appreciate your sleuthing.  Thank you.  I will save this until tomorrow--otherwise, I have a feeling that I'll be researching for the next hour or two. 😊  I'll let you know what I find out.  Really does sound like this might be either the place or a big clue. 

[melda58]

You're welcome.  I hope so!  

Rita

[bekksa]

melda58 -  Well, here's the verdict.  I still don't know who made it but I now believe that you are correct about the name.  I still think there is a B in the word but otherwise that mark appears to say MONPLAISIR, which means My Pleasure in French.  The tiles I found that were so similar to mine were on a tiled stove in Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo (near St. Petersburg).  The "Catherine" in that Palace name was Peter the Great's wife.  Monsplaisir Palace also belonged to Peter the Great.  He was the first tsar to visit the Netherlands.  Apparently he traveled incognito through Europe because he wanted to learn and modernize Russia (I found a wonderful article online titled "How Peter the Great brought a little bit of Dutch culture to Russia!")  Anyway, he worked in the Netherlands for a time and was "charmed by the Dutch".  That article mentions several ways that love shows in things that he did or built.   The blue and white stove tiles in one palace and the dutch pantry in Monsplaisir all seem to be related to that as well. 

So, based on what may be a bunch of coincidences, I'm gonna go with this tile being made in Russia.  Maybe it was sold in a nearby gift with a nod to the palace name on the reverse side.  

Thank you again VERY MUCH.  If nothing else, I learned some history along with the attempt to identify this pretty tile.  🙂