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Subject:Re: Request help translating calligraphy
Posted By: Martin Michels Mon, Jul 16, 2018
The mark reads: Kutani 九谷 Watahei 綿平 Sei 製 Seisui Do 青翠堂, see picture. Date: circa 1890.
I could not find anything about Seisui Do / Seisuido, even not in googling the Japanese characters.
The makers name is Watahei (not Watahira!!), which is short for Watatani Heibei.
Watatani Heibei was actually a merchant, although he was from a Kutani painter family from Terai. In 1882 he started a company in Yokohama to export Kutani ceramics to Europe and the USA, the Kutani Kai Shoten. The shop is also called the Watatani Heibei Shoten and had a number of people working for it. Pieces are signed Watatani or Watahei (WATA-tani HEI-bei).
Regards,
Martin
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