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Hello experts. I have this large 9 3/4" diameter GE ware brush washer, the bottom has 5 kiln spur marks and a mark I can't find. It's heavy and seems authentic but anymore I just don't know. Any help in identifying it is appreciated.

Thank you for all the help in the past.
Jeanne

I've seen a similar mark on a Qing dynasty guan type cong vase offered for sale recently. Not sure if this information is of any value for you.

Found the vase that is available online for a decent buy-it-now price. Not dated by the dealer but only described as an antique chinese vase, so it's possible that the piece, like your washer, is actually earlier than Qing dynasty. I'm actually considering the cong vase myself, so I'm also very curious about what the mark actually means.

Thank you. I have seen the mark but information is very limited. I think it actually reads just "Guan", I'm hoping for more information although I know these pieces are difficult to ID, it just seems very special.

I also think the mark actually means "Guan". And also the foot ring, the rim color and the green tint of the glaze suggest a possible earlier dating. in my opinion.

Thank you Corey. Do you think it could be Song Dynasty?

Nope. Possibly ming dynasty or eventually yuan dynasty. But most likely late ming to early qing.

That helps a lot Corey, thank you. I thank that perhaps the way it's marked would ID the kiln. Would you have any idea of it's value?

See Forum thread on crackled ware:

http://asianart.com/phpforum/index.php?method=detailAll&Id=28520

Southern Song guan ware made of very dark clay and tried imitate Ru ware. Large numbers crackled ware have been produced including yesterday.

Your piece's rather awkwardly painted-on brown rim is belied by pale-colored footrim. Guan ware glaze did not turn to brown on mouth like jun ware.

Can't help you much with value, but it's probably not a high value object. Question is if's really is true guanyao as the mark suggest, (if the mark really means guan), or guan-type/imitation. I have seen this exaggerated brown rim color on imitation guan ware of the ming dynasty i.e. longquan guan-type items, but I'm too busy to find some links right now. Perhaps some of the board members with knoweledge in chinese could help us with the mark.

trying to be kangxi. there are three periods of Tao/Confucian orthidoxy, and the minimalist aesthetic associated with decorative objects in China that are most pragmatic to remember... The first being the Ming. Of course if you imagine you will find a Song dynasty object at the bottom of some old dear's cupboard, you are not being pragmatic. So, Ming & early qing. 17th/18thC. Design is minimalist. This is the classic pd. It then becomes very busy during Qianlong, but there is a resurgence of minimalism end 18th/e19th. Then again Canton causes a fussy Eurocentric aesthetic to pervade the arts. The end of the century sees another resurgence to the Tao/Confucian... way, which survives the earlier part of the 20thC. Your brush-washer I am sorry to say falls into this, the last category, and even there this is questionable. There are less than 100 Song dynasty ge ware objects on earth.

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