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This mark is on the underside of a large charger (?) plate/bowl - I'm not clear how to refer to this dish. Is it Chinese porcelain and old or a repro? My dad left this to me. The marks look similar to Ming ChengHua that I have seen in a reference book as well as some in online searches. Any help in identifying this would be so appreciated! Thanks in advance!! This measures 19 1/8 inches across the top. Sue

A Chenghua mark on what apparently is a Japanese product. Looks like Meiji or older, but I'll defer on that point to others more familiar with Japanese porcelain.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank you Bill. I am new to all this so I appreciate every lead! My dad left many books as well - so with every tip I have at least a starting point for research!

Hi Sue,

A very nice dish you have here. The mark reads "Da Ming Chenghua nian zhi" indead but your big dish isn't Chinese but Japanese but certainly not a repro. It's very common to find such markings on Japanese porcelain. I'm not totally sure about the dating but if I had to make a guess I would think it's late Edo. Let's wait for others, maybe Emiko reads your post.

Regards,

Arjan

Arjan- thank you for the translation. It appears everyone agrees it is Japanese which I didn't really know. I looked up Edo- very interesting time period. Could you educate me regarding your statement that it's "certainly not a repro". Are there clear tell tale signs that you saw in the pictures that inform you so? Anything I can learn will certainly useful...this is only one of several porcelains I will be investigating! Sue

Japanese 20th century Arita imitating chinese reign marks. probably 1930's or 20's but could be up to the 70's.

the mark reads Chenghua but you need to recognize that Chenghua marks have been added to Chinese porcelain for centuries since the actual reign period; your nice plate looks considerably more recent than Ming. Someone who actually knows something about porcelain will no doubt weigh in, but to me this looks like it is trying to be a (Japanese) Imari-style plate; the Chinese did make some for export to Japan and reproductions are being turned out today as well, so wait for someone more knowledgeable to comment...

Edward and Rat...thank you both for more hints! Rat- I did read in several source about the Chenghua mark being added often. I will do even more reading about Imari and Arita...very confusing. Any other tips or suggested paths to figure this out would be most appreciated! Thanks!

google is your friend! also try the gotheborg.com discussion board, which has posts on both Japanese made and Chinese made Arita ware

Hi Sue,

The reason why I said “it’s not a repro” is because it isn’t imitating anything (certainly not Chinese) and the decoration is typical Japanese. It would be even difficult to find a simular one.

A few other things:
Those rings on the back –close to the footrim- are typical Japanese
Such spurmarks (I count 6 on this one) in this form you will only found on Japanese dishes.
Such spurmarks are rather common on Japanese ware but disappeared (with exceptions) after early 19th century. First of small dishes later on for bigger ones. Some later ones just have one spurmark.
Those Chenghua markings are very common on Japanese ware from Arita. Probably most on (first half) 19th. century pieces.
Around 1870 Japanese started to import cobalt. This “newer cobalt” (which is more pure) gives a brigther blue. The “old cobalt” is more greyish so often a good indication of the age. Often hard to see on posted pictures but I think to see that your dish have the old cobalt.

Such things makes me think: …..It’s Japanese, made in Arita and probably from late Edo / first half 19th. Century.

Regards,

Arjan

Thanks Rat. I have been going thru gotheborg.com -it's very helpful! I replied on the other thread to you as well BTW.

Arjan, thank you for such a detailed explanation. Your post is super educational.The info on cobalt is very interesting - I guess a person has to have a lot of experience to see these subtleties in color. I also read somewhere about the reflectivity of the glaze?? While taking those picture (outdoors) I did find it difficult to get a picture without reflections of either myself or things around the dish. Again- a subtle thing the experts know that we novices couldn't. I have tried all kinds of searches of images focusing on the horses - thinking I might find something similar. I haven't found anything at all. I have to think the little scene with the house and the nearby waterway with fish and shells ties in somehow with the horses to a specific location.

please note...I see that their is another person posting as "Sue"...so for distinction I am going to change my posts from after today forward to the name SueSwit...

please note...I see that there is another person posting as "Sue"...so for distinction I am going to change my posts to the name SueSwit...if this site will allow it!

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