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I recently acquired this blue cup decorated with cranes.
Unfortunately the signature underneath is too cursive for me to translate, see 2nd photo.
So please can someone translates this for me.
Thanks in advance,
Martin.

Reading,
錦光山　-　Kinkōzan

With regards,
I.Nagy

After some searching I think the 2nd and 3rd Kanji spell Kozan 光山. These Kanji look like the 2nd and 3rd Kanji on some Kinkozan marks, see 1st picture.
However, I don't think the complete signature spells Kinkozan.

SO IS ANYONE HAVING ANY IDEA ABOUT THE 1ST KANJI ???

I've seen another item (see picture of vase) with the same decoration on WorthPoint, but without showing the signature. WorthPoint's title is "IMPORTANT JAPANESE SATSUMA VASE MEIJI PERIOD 19TH CENT. KINKOZAN?, KYOTO", Kinkozan Question mark.
Apparently their signature is probably the same as on my cup.

Martin.

Dear Martin,
You can bet on it.
It is Kinkōzan 錦光山 written in a very running style. What the worse for those who never have learned calligraphy the Kō and zan 光 山　are coupled into a ligature
錦　nishiki - kin ＝　brocade, embroidered, bright
光　hikari - kō　　＝　light, ray, bright
山　yama - zan ＝　hill, mountain

The three characters together make Kinkōzan 錦光山、which is a surname. In 1756 the 3rd generation Kobayashi Kibei 小林喜兵衛 was designated the official decorator for the Tokugawa Shogun and was given the surname Kinkōzan.

With refards,
I.Nagy

Dear I.Nagy,

So still Kinkozan, I didn't expect that.
Thank you very much again for the help, you're amazing.
Much obliged,
Martin.

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