European pottery is a hot new collecting field, but information is still hard to come by. This article is an introduction to the field and the first in a series.

Many people have heard of West German pottery, but information is still difficult to come by, especially in English. The art-itself covers such a wide range that it defies simple definition or categorization, but there are some basic concepts and bits of information for those who want to understand this young collecting field. The term West German pottery has come into general use because that is often the most specific designation on the bottom of the pottery, even causing some people to think that it's a company name. Unfortunately, most of the companies only used permanent marks rarely, relying on labels instead, but more of the companies have been identified.