Roland Blaettler, Andreas Heege 2019

In 1792, Matthias Neeracher bought the old faience and porcelain factory in the Schooren area of Kilchberg and proceeded to produce refined white earthenware and faience. In 1802 the manufactory changed ownership and Hans Jakob Nägeli took over the running of it. He handed it down to his son, Johann Jakob Nägeli, in 1830. The refined white earthenware production probably ceased as early as 1804. In 1849, Johann Jakob Nägeli closed down the business because it was no longer viable. This was followed by a transition period under Louise Nägeli (1849–1858).

She eventually sold the factory to Johann Jakob Staub (1825-1897), who ran it until his death in 1897. In its latter phase the factory produced flowerpots as well as serving dishes and tableware with manganese glaze. The products were probably not marked or stamped. A water dispenser and basin dated 1896 and marked with “J:St:” was a rare exception (MKB VI-4048). It was modelled on earlier pieces from Zurich or made using plaster moulds that had been left at the factory (now at the Swiss National Museum SNM LM-15331-449; Heege/Kistler 2017/2, Abb. 726). No overview of the vessel shapes made by Staub has yet been put together, although the archaeological finds offer some evidence (Matter 2012, 138, Fig. 159). The factory probably also produced tiled stoves.

The factory buildings in a drawing from 1920.

Johann Jakob Staub’s heirs may have continued to produce pottery between 1897 and the end of 1906, at which stage the factory was closed for good (Bösch 2003, 253 citing Ducret 1951, 176). The company buildings were converted into a country residence in 1919, which was blown up without permission in 2002 (Matter 2012, 14–17).

Translation Sandy Haemmerle

References:

Blaettler/Schnyder 2014
Roland Blaettler/Rudolf Schnyder, CERAMICA CH II: Solothurn (Nationales Inventar der Keramik in den öffentlichen Sammlungen der Schweiz (1500–1950), Sulgen 2014, 42–43.

Ducret 1951
Siegfried Ducret, Schoorensteingut des 19. Jh., in: Zeitschrift für Schweizerische Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte 12, 1951, 175-180.

Heege/Kistler 2017
Andreas Heege/Andreas Kistler, Keramik aus Langnau. Zur Geschichte der bedeutendsten Landhafnerei im Kanton Bern (Schriften des Bernischen Historischen Museums 13), Bern 2017.

Matter 2012
Annamaria Matter, Die archäologische Untersuchung in der ehemaligen Porzellanmanufaktur Kilchberg-Schooren. Keramikproduktion am linken Zürichseeufer 1763–1906 (Monographien der Kantonsarchäologie Zürich 43), Zürich 2012, bes. 115 und 138.