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Hi there, I don't know much about Asian art, but I found this vase in a thrift store, and though badly damaged, I just fell in love with it. The mark is very small and unclear, but I tried to photograph it. Thanks so much for anything you can tell me!

The picture is small but maybe with enhanced contrast someone can help.

Thanks Patricia! That looks much better.

I'm including a couple more photos. Also, the vase it about 18" tall. Does anyone have a guess on age? Maybe after reading more of the topics in here, I shouldn't have called it "very" old. ;-) But I would guess it's at least 100 yrs old?

Thanks again!
Shannon

Did you pick this up in Japan or Taiwan?

It should be Taiwan made and dates from 1960s to present.

Canton style ceramic and glaze. Mostly used as tiles and deity figures to adorn temples. AFAIK only in Taiwan do they make vases.

Thanks for your reply. I picked it up in Washington State. :-) What dates it to the 60's or later? Is it the style? The moriage and enamel work seems very fine to me. I guess that's why I thought it was older. Also, the foot ring and the moriage are so discolored. Does the mark mean anything to you?

Thanks again!
Shannon

It is a Taiwan adaption of Canton technique called Jiao Zhi Yao (交趾陶) and popularized by tourists starting in the 60s. Most buyers are Japanese tourists. The biscuit is much softer than porcelain and thus prone to damage. Most Jiao Zhi yao is characterized by vivid colors and lively statues. The color is much like enamel but not actual enamel. I was wrong in calling it so.

The technique is all but lost in mainland China only recently do I see a revival.

Try this site for more pictures and info. Unfortunately the English pages do not work.
http://www2.tku.edu.tw/~tahx/koji/

Thanks very much. I looked through the link, but really don't see the similarity to the pieces shown there. The vase I have is a yellow glaze with green drip applied around the top, then moriage and enamel decoration done over that. I didn't see anything like that at the site you gave, but maybe I missed it?

I took another photo of the mark, and tried playing around with it. The craze lines in the glaze really make it hard to see...

Decoration style is also revival - adaptation of style by English potteries like 'Royal Doulton' which imitate - adapt late 19th century Japanese slip-trail and moriage decoration.

Good luck,
Cal

Hello Shannon,

I suggest this is Japanese moriage circa 1930. Not only is the moriage squeeze-bag work typical of this period, Japanese practice is to sign to one edge of the base as shown.

While the glaze obscures the detail of yours the combination of the 2 marks can be an artist's chop or factory/kiln/studio in the cartouche seal, the artist's inscribed beneath the cartouche. Another likely combination is the potter is one and the glaze artist the other.

On a piece like this not being to discern the artist, factory, kiln, or studio does not affect an evaluation; the piece speaks for itself.

If you would like to see other vases of this style and period do a Google search with the following search term

"Nippon +moriage +Taisho"

Cheers,
Michael

Thank you Michael. That is very helpful!

Shannon

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