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Subject:Re: Trouble identifying porcelain mark
Posted By: Martin Michels Thu, Mar 07, 2019
These are items from the Kutani region.
The red mark reads: Dai 大 Nippon 日本 - Wataken 綿堅 Sei 製 - Motoshige 本重 (?) Ga 画 = Great Japan - Made by Wataken - Painted by Motoshige.
I'm not 100% sure about Motoshige, it's a best guess, another possibility is Honshige, but there are some more names possible, although unlikely. I could not find info about those names.
I was not able to find out the little circular mark.
Wataken is a mark of Watano Genuemon, who was a merchant and had a shop in Terai. He started his Kutani business in 1860 and in 1876 he opened a branch office in Kobe, the Watano Shoten (shop). It is believed that pieces signed "Wataken" were made during this Kobe period. Not much later, the shop was transferred to his son Watano Kichiji. In 1880 Kichiji move the shop to Yokohama.
So in my opinion this dates your tea set 1876-1880.
Regards,
Martin.
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