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I have an oriental vase with a mysterious marking drawn at the base of the vase. Has any one ever seem this marking before? The drawings on the vase look Japanese. Not quite sure about the marking. Any information will be greatly apreciated.

The mark is very similar to the Koransha Orchid marks, but not identical. Here are copies blue Koransha marks used over a period of time without any additional marks. Other blue marks appeared within frames, or with the Koransha name in kanji. The vase does appear to be Koransha.

Hello Leeza,

I think you're right; your nice vase is Japanese.
The mark seems to be the orchid of Fukugawa. Original it started in 1875 when the company "Koransha" was started in Arita when Ezaimon Fukagawa founded the original company.
As far as I know these blue orchid marks are rather modern.

best regards,

Arjan

Leeza, the photos are too shy of optimum resolution for me to say for sure, but your vase and its mark both look like they may be Koransha, a Fukagawa-associated Japanese company name that means "Fragrant Orchid." Since the mark looks more stylized than those used earlier, I'd guess at about the third quarter, 20th century, as a date for this vase. I've attached a photo of a Koransha mark from the base of a much smaller cup from about the same period. This is a more standard version of the orchid.
Regards,
Bill H.

Mark looks like: "Fukagawa Koransha", orchid mark. Modern. Japanese. Nice vase. Look on http://gotheborg.com/marks/index_jap_marks.htm for more information on fukagawa.

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