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This tokkuri is signed (photo of kanji with yellowish background). It is painted in the Ming Swatow style, which both Eiraku Hozen and his son Eiraku Wazen (永楽 和全) did (and perhaps others who followed in their potting lineage). Both red and green enamels are over crackled glaze. The signature with the white background is shown on a Japanese website with a bowl by Eiraku Hozen: http://ameblo.jp/junnosukeart/entry-12023730677.html.
A bowl by his son can be seen with a signature with six characters at http://www.trocadero.com/stores/meijibijutsu/items/1257463/item1257463store.html.
It seems that it may be signed Eiraku only, though I may be interpreting the looseness of a kanji signature too liberally.
I'm hoping one of the experienced folks on this site can offer some elucidation. Thanks.

The six-character mark on the Troc shop piece also is shown under Kutani kanji markings by the website at the link below (old gbouvier.com; members only for database access) but with a slightly different take on transliteration of "Oite Kutani Eiraku Zo". Also, the book "Japanese Marks & Seals" by James Lord Bowes, first published in 1882, has several pages of what then were called "Yeiraku" marks in chapters devoted to Kyoto and Kaga pottery makers.

On page 115 of the Lord Bowes book, there are two marks, the first on a "teapot of late period ware that's labeled No. 203 and reads "Dai Nip-pon, Ni oite Yei-Raku Kutani Tsukuru," translated as "Made by Yeiraku in Kutani, Great Japan". The author explains, "A member of the Yeiraku family of Kioto settled in Kutani about 20 years ago and introduced various improvements into the decoration of the ware." Then he continues with mark No. 204, "...in red upon a bowl of late period ware", reading "Ni oite Yei-raku Ku-tani TSUKURU", translated as "Made by Yeiraku in Kutani".

The term "oite" (於 - means "in / at / to / from / by / than / out of"). The aforementioned book would seem to indicate on page 22 that "oite" would be pronounced as is in Chinese-style marks but "ni oite" in Japanese marks, so as to preclude ambiguity in those meant to specify a place or workshop where a piece was made. In some of these "ni oite" marks, what appear to me to be the smaller phonetic characters for the term are shown just before and after 於. Please note, I’m not trained in Japanese, per se, but have studied Chinese and its standard characters, which form the basis of kanji.

Having said all that, I've seen a mark of "Oite Kutani Eisen Zo" (於九谷樂泉造), which in the photo shown or once shown at the link looks rather close to what’s seen in your last photo above. Eisen also was influenced by Ming ceramics, and the mark I've seen when researching some of my own collection is written in red, with black characters washed over by translucent green, which colors look a lot like what’s on your tokkuri. Maybe some of our Japanese experts can comment on the similarity.

Best regards,

Bill H.


URL Title :Kutani Marks

Thank you, Bill. I've been away with no access to the internet, and just saw your ressponse. Thanks for your time and the information!

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