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Hello, Can anyone identify the mark on this large blue and white temple jar and perhaps give me an approx. date on it? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! David.

The mark reads down and across from the top right as "Ruo Shen Zhen Cang", meaning "Precious Collection of the Seemingly Old". This mark has been used since the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi Reign (1662-1722). However, this jar appears from its naïve style of painting to be no older than the mid-to-late 20th century. The wear pattern on the mark would appear to indicate that it is painted on or applied by decal to the glazed surface instead of being under the glaze, as would be the case with most antique Chinese blue & white porcelains. The overall impression is that this jar may be a product of a porcelain ornamentation factory somewhere besides Mainland China, perhaps in Southeast Asia. Indonesia and Thailand have such factories, as do Hong Kong, Macao and the rest of China. But I would expect the Chinese artisans to do a more convincing job of painting porcelain in the traditional style.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thanx Bill H! David.

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