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Would really appreciate some help with this signature to the base of a satsuma vase. Many thanks in advance. I've included 2 photos in different lights, so hopefully between the two it's legible. The characters are very small :-)

Cartouche in the middle,
大日本　-　Dainihon - Greater Japan
薩摩焼　-　Satsuma-yaki - Satsuma ware
服部製　-　Hattori-sei - Made by Hattori

Right of the cartouche,
東京　　-　Tōkyō
Left of the cartouche,
五翠堂造　-　Gosuidō-zō　- Made by Gosuidō
(However, it might be 玉翠堂　"Gyokusuidō”- something might have gone wrong at the gilding
- Gyokusidō would seem more realistic)

With regards,
I.Nagy

In the black cartouche the mark reads:
Top: Dai 大 Nippon 日本 (Great Japan) from right to left.
Right: Satsuma 薩摩 Yaki 焼 (Satsuma ware).
Left: Hattori 服部 Sei 製 (made by Hattori).

Left from the cartouche: Gosui 五翠 Do 堂 or Gosuido, the decorating studio or decorator.
I can't figure out the rest of the Kanji.

It's a mark of Hattori Seizo 服部 製造 (Hattori Manufacturing), NOT a mark of the famous Hattori Kyoho, whose products are fairly rare.

Hattori Seizo is Satsuma style Yokohama export ware from circa 1900 till 1940 before World War 2. The blank pottery was made in Kyoto or Mino and then brought to Hattori Seizo (near Yokohama) for the final coloring / decorating. Most of these commercial products were mass produced for export.

Since the mark reads Dai Nippon, your vase dates 1900-1920 (late Meiji - early Taisho era)

Regards,
Martin.

Dear I.Nagy,

I was intrigued by the name Gosuido and your remark that it might be Gyokusuido. I found a mark Gyokusuido (see pic 1) and 2 other Gosuido marks (see pic 2). When translation the name Gosuido, I agree that it's a litte strange: "5 green hall" or "5 Kingfishers hall"?

My question is: must we see those names as a whole or might it be that those names are Gyokusui Do and Gosui Do, perhaps because they are (work)shops or studio's?
And is there a general rule about "Do" when to use it as a suffix and when as a separate part of a name?

Sincerely,
Martin.

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