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I spotted this lovely little Satsuma ginger jar in a local antiques shop. Does anyonanyone know what the markings on the bottom represent? Any help will enjoy greatly appreciated.

If you flip your first photo 90 degrees counterclockwise, the two characters on a gilt-lined iron red field beneath the Satsuma cross-in-circle crest read down as "Koshida" (越田), while the cursive signature in gold near the mark's lower left corner appears to say "Bizan" (美山).

Koshida was well-known Satsuma producer of the late Meiji Period (1868-1912). At the same time, Bizan was a highly regarded painting studio in Kyoto. Koshida's name seems not to have found its way into James Lord Bowes' 1882 book of Japanese marks and seals, but he mentions Bizan's "delicate workmanship and careful decoration."

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank you Bill, this was most helpful. Sorry about the picture being rotated. It is truly a wonderful little jar and the decoration is certainly careful.

Hi, I would date this later, to the 1950s, and it seems that Koshida existed still (or again) in that time. The decoration does not look like Meiji at all to me, and I do not think this Bizan is the one mentioned by Bowes. I add a link to a Meiji Period piece signed by Bizan to compare.
Mat

URL Title :Meiji Bizan

You make a good point that rings a bell with me. I always suspected the Kinkozan mark outlasted that studio, and some obviously later pieces with a Kinkozan mark had it rendered in gilt in hard-to-read cursive characters in a style much like the Bizan mark on this vase.

Thanks,

Bill H.

Hi Mat, Hi Bill

thanks for your comments which I found very interesting. When I first found this item and examined it, I thought "either this is a very very very good old piece, or a more recent work. Its condition suggests it is from the the 1950s or 1960s, rather than the 1890s.

Cheers

Gregg

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