Colorful Porcelain Pelikans

[sargetalon]

Hello everyone. When I started collecting Pelikans, the ceramic pen holders always struck me as a neat piece of ephemera. I only thought that there were some blue and white models with a few more interesting colors being reserved for those very vintage models. At least that's all I ever glimpsed pictures of. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that is not the case. There are a rainbow of colors out there. I thought that I'd share my collection to date on this lazy Sunday afternoon.

 

From what I can gather, these were only available in retail shops in Germany and not for sale to the general public. I'm assuming they are 80s or 90s vintage, probably the latter. All of the stampings on the bases show the two chick logo except for some of the white ones which are much more recently made. The holes in the beaks are a bit smaller and will not accommodate anything bigger than an M400. I love this collection and hope to grow it with some of the other colors out there provided my wife doesn't smash them all first . Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mr2txaggie]

 

 

What a beautiful & awesome collection of Chicks!

 

I had no idea that many Chicks were available.

 

Congratulations on your collection!

[Doug1426]

Wow, those are absolutely beautiful. What a great collection!

Thanks for sharing it with all of us ceramic-lly challenged aficionados.

[Horseknitter]

I had no idea there were this many floating around! And so many colors. Who knew?

 

I intend to get one now that I know they are out there! But where do I look?

[zchen]

Thank you for sharing your collection. That reminds me that I should get one of these some time.

 

I have to say the statues in the third picture looks rather......intimidating. could use a "You came to the wrong neighborhood" caption

[inkstainedruth]

I've seen a few colors of the large ones for sale, but mostly the dark blue, dark green, and white. I've NEVER seen some of the other colors. I'm almost afraid to ask how much one of the pink or light blue ones might cost.

As for the small ones, I keep looking for a reasonably priced small blue one. I saw one at DCSS a few years ago, but it was a display piece at the table and wasn't for sale. I was able to pick up one that was metallic gold for cheap, but I would trade it in a heartbeat for a blue glazed model.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[sargetalon]

The newer large white ones are available from US retailer Fahrney's or from the UK's Niche Pens. The white, silver, and gold small stands are currently on eBay from Bill Weakley. The large & small cobalt blue ones come up on eBay from time to time as does the Blue Mountain Pottery stand. The other, more exotic colors are very hard to locate and it's really just luck if you come across one. Rolf Thiel has a few up now but they are way overpriced in my opinion. These appear to have only been available in Germany and were not for retail sale. Finding them at old pen shops is your best bet. These are so elusive, I didn't even know they existed until I happened upon a cache. Unfortunately, when you do find one, the seller usually has them ridiculously priced. Good luck to all though. I can tell you there are more colors than depicted here out there so my quest continue as well.

[daenghafez]

What a great congregation of colourful birds. Thanks for sharing, Joshua.

[Wandering Man]

Awesome collection.

 

Third picture from the top ...

 

Looks like the Pelikans are on the March. Scary enough for a nightmare!

[Nylarev]

Hi!

 

My name is Vera. I am from Canada. I went to my first ever Pelikan Hub 2018 last month. At the time, I did not own any Pelikans cause I didn't know what size nib to order. I don't know why I am attracted to the Pelikan brand. Maybe classic styling and reliability. I love your collection and wanted to buy a bird for my first Pelikan. I ordered a Pelikan M800 Stone Garden (Fine) online. I read your blog and it was very helpful. What I should look for in a stand to fit my M800? I would really appreciate your opinion. I just love your collection. I found that vintage Blue Mountain Pottery Pelikan. I don't know if its a fake or real but I hope its a good home on my display shelf. I still like the large Pelikan ceramic stand with the hole in the beak.

 

Hope to hear from you!

 

-Vera

[sargetalon]

Hi!

 

My name is Vera. I am from Canada. I went to my first ever Pelikan Hub 2018 last month. At the time, I did not own any Pelikans cause I didn't know what size nib to order. I don't know why I am attracted to the Pelikan brand. Maybe classic styling and reliability. I love your collection and wanted to buy a bird for my first Pelikan. I ordered a Pelikan M800 Stone Garden (Fine) online. I read your blog and it was very helpful. What I should look for in a stand to fit my M800? I would really appreciate your opinion. I just love your collection. I found that vintage Blue Mountain Pottery Pelikan. I don't know if its a fake or real but I hope its a good home on my display shelf. I still like the large Pelikan ceramic stand with the hole in the beak.

 

Hope to hear from you!

 

-Vera

 

 

Check your messages.

[bass1193]

So awesome! It is fun to dig into the way any company markets its products, thinking of why they decided to go the way they did. These seem to exemplify that the folks at Pelikan are trying to push nostalgia, in going for the storefront window display style. This brings to mind the porcelain hands meant to display gloves. Or am I romanticizing these pottery Pelikan Pelicans too much... 🤔

[AoKiu]

I too have about a dozen of the colorful big porcelain Pelikan figurines. But to make it clear, Pelikan Hannover had only 2 colors officially made: white and cobalt blue. All other colors are copies and actually a copyright infringement by using the original company logo without authorization. Most of them are from a German eBay seller who lives in a town with a porcelain manufacturing company.

[1nkulus]

I too have about a dozen of the colorful big porcelain Pelikan figurines. But to make it clear, Pelikan Hannover had only 2 colors officially made: white and cobalt blue. All other colors are copies and actually a copyright infringement by using the original company logo without authorization. Most of them are from a German eBay seller who lives in a town with a porcelain manufacturing company.

 

Interesting, yet Pelikan is allowing it to happen in it's backyard.

[1nkulus]

Wow, those are absolutely beautiful. What a great collection!

Thanks for sharing it with all of us ceramic-lly challenged aficionados.

+1

[jungkind]

More Pelikans.....

 

 

 

[1nkulus]

Lovely collection and colors.

 

Do any of them accommodate a M1000?

[jungkind]

The white one accommodates a M1000, all the others I have don't

[1nkulus]

The white one accommodates a M1000, all the others I have don't

 

Have you come across any other colors in that size? Does it have a size/reference?

[jungkind]

The white I have is a more recent one in mate white and with one chick and therefore probably a "genuine" Pelikan sold piece. May be they have updated the size of the hole with time.If you need a Pelikan that accommodates a M1000 for sure, you would have to buy from a known Pelikan dealer that can check it out for you before you buy.