I will make this quick. I spent too much time researching this Maker's mark, but the results are clear ...to me. I think I have uncovered something that has been mistakenly referred to for a half Century! ...well at least on the Internet. This Detective work was about trying to look up a silly ceramic figurine with a gold foil sticker sporting a poorly conceived logo. I clearly see a tiny "Ampersand" and read this as UC&GC, but only under magnification (remember this is very magnified). It is easy to see the confusion.
Here's the rub. Try googling UC&GC and you'll get nothing. No one can see the ampersand and thinks that is a "C" or an "O" ...so try googling UCGC ...B00M, results by the ton. Try finding out who UCGC is (Manufacturer? History?), lots of product Image search results for their Gift Craftware, but no one knows who is UCGC. So I am closing in and trying different queries against the Googlemachine and I think I have uncovered an as-yet-unknown sticker Identity. GSaleHunter the King and Queen of No One Cares!
I looked for entirely too long and could not find this simple sticker linked to a Manufacturer. The same logo presents with "Japan" and "Taiwan". The important part is *everyone* is wrong about who this represents and are usually only described in product listings as a UCGC Maker's mark, so allow me some bragging rights ...even though my assumption is not verified, it will quickly become an obvious "ooooh yeeeah".
So I did this alphabetically and it became clear. Reading the Japanese porcelain Maker's marks on Gotheborg you can scroll down to the "U"s and read the History of Ucagco - United China and Glass Company, which now seems to be a sadly incomplete story. Ucagco sold in 1956 and it's lead Designer and CEO retired in 1962, and the story ends there ...and so did the recognizable gold foil stickers "Ucagco" on their Gift Craft line. I am supposing that newly led company which purchased the 100-year-old (famous!) United China and Glass Company, wanted to come up with a new logo and sticker design for all their new products.
Ok, you get an "F" on your logo design if it forever defeats anyone knowing who you are, which I believe is exactly the case here. A tiny "&" tucked into cramped letters? Maybe it looked good on the Drawing Board. GSaleHunter hereby rectifies the confusion ...although I could be totally wrong. UCGC is actually UC&GC, the 1962 rebranded United China & Glass Co. of Sammons Enterprises. Please share any information below!
Check your stickers people (magnifier or cell phone camera required!) on all those kitchy porcelain figurines. Verification? What happened to Ucagco products after being transitioned to the new owners in 1962? What products did they make, and how were those Sammons Enterprises Imports labeled? I'm saying with the above stickers. More guessing based on historical trends. The "UC&GC Japan" stickers represent products from the 1960's (post-1962?) and stickers with "UC&GC Taiwan" represent products made as Taiwan stole Japan's export crown in the 1970's
This is an uncovered topic anywhere. Now the conversation is initiated and hopefully you found us when you googled UC&GC Join the conversation and join our Social Media on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and sign up with your email to get our newest Tips and Tricks and the next episode of "Before and After" See our other Blog "Researching Vintage" to learn how we prep and research incoming new treasures. Thanks for stopping by,
The Struggle for Vintage is Real! The struggle for random obscurity? Oh that just comes naturally.
GSaleHunter
Hi Tina,
Thanks for stopping by! UC&GC was an “Import” company and their Giftware likely came from multiple sources in the Far East. To stay competitive in that ever-changing Market of the 60’s and 70’s, clearly there was much “borrowed inspiration” from what was popular at the time. The appeal today is the same as before, even as ‘copies’ many of these items were very well made and good quality …and pretty to look at, and likely for way less $$!
Searching these out online becomes the challenge! The whole point of this post was the confusion of others who list their items for sale (or post to Pinterest etc.) with mistaken identifiers which confounds the Googlemachine. Try some wrong searches like UOGC or UCGC with “Shepard and lamb figurine” ..and even without those prefixes, as people lost or ignored stickers when posting to the Internet
Good Luck!
-GSH
I have a UC&GC Japan figurine which very much looks like it was influenced by the LLadro style of porcelain. I can find no other online that looks similar or in that same style by UC&GC, but I’m thinking it must be late 1960s perhaps? It is of a shepherdess standing next to a lamb in the traditional blue and cream coloring of LLadro.
Thanks for stopping by Tana! Many of these Asia-based glass and ceramics companies worked to broaden their Marketshare with other appealing giftware. While their Brand legacy was “China and Glass”, UCAGO also made other decorative items even before UC&GC became a thing. I have a composite plastic gold horse figurine labeled UCAGO I am about to list, so I would think your Music box Violin definitely is “in bounds” for the type of products they (both brands!) could offer …early 60’s?
I have a windup violin with the bow and stand has the UC&GC on back it looks hand painted