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Hi,

I've seen this vase on a online auction where it is described as a late Edo vase.
But no information about the signature.
Before bidding on this one I like to know:
- Late Edo indeed? Right blue color for instance?
- are the right 3 characters spelling Zoshuntei?
(in that case it might be late Edo).
- What name is on the left set, upper 2 characters.
I appreciate if someone can help me with this.
Thanks in advance.
Martin.

I found some listings online for items marked "Zoshuntei Seibo Zo" (蔵春亭 西畝造), but the middle character in the left stack on your vase looks different and may not be the same as shown here. Below is the link to the vase online.

https://www.rubylane.com/item/1117255-A1603/Japanese-Antique-Pair-Porcelain-Vases-Some

Best regards,

Bill H.

Further to my earlier comment, in his book "Hirado Prince of Porcelains", Louis Lawrence says that Hisatomi Yajibei had established a workshop at the Hirado kiln site of Mikawachi by 1841 in order to supply "colorfully decorated" wares to Dutch traders at Nagasaki. He further specifies that the decoration was "overglaze" and that large quantities bore the 'Zoshuntei Sampo' mark." This mark is illustrated as No. 96 in Appendix Six of the book, again specified as "overglaze" but not specifically dated.

James Lord Bowes, in his 1882 "Japanese Marks & Seals", dates the "Zo-shun-tei San Ho" (variant) mark even earlier, citing an example in red on porcelain dating to around 1820 and in blue on a from circa 1837. I also have a cup & saucer cup with a Zoshuntei Sampo mark on one piece and Qianlong on the other, which I used to think was Meiji but have been convinced by Guy and others to believe is earlier (see below link and secondary link within it).

However, while your vase looks from its decoration to compare well with other late Edo Japanese shonzui motifs I've seen in print, I've come across no firm documentation of a date for its version of the Zoshuntei mark. On the other hand, here's another link immediately below of what looks to be the same mark as yours, but in red, on an eBay seller's platter with decoration I heretofore and still associate with Meiji-period decoration bearing Zoshuntei Sampo as well as Hichozan and Fukagawa marks. Examples of such Zoshuntei-marked wares are shown in the second and third images below.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanese-Edo-Arita-Kiln-Porcelain-Tray-Signed-Zoshuntei-Seiho-zo-C-1845/381711109012?

I certainly hope we hear from Guy and other advanced collectors of Japanese porcelains on this one.

Best Regards,

Bill H.







URL Title :Zoshuntei

Bill,

Thanks a lot for your answers.
Although the characters 三保 are generally accepted as being Sanpo or Sanho. even the Google translator gives Miho. I own several pieces of Zoshuntei with 3 different names, most of them have Sanpo (so infact: Miho) as artist name.
But I've got also a piece with an artist name of Nishiune 西畝, at least that's what the Google translator makes of it, obviously this has be Seiho or Saiho.

And I have a piece signed Zoshuntei Hisatomi Zo, of which I'm not sure of what age. It might been from the restart of Zoshuntei between 1911 and 1926.
See photos below.

So still : What is the name on the vase, the first character is 西 (Nishi, Sai or Sei), but the second character does not looks like 畝, perhaps it is an other character for "ho" or has it just to do with poor handwriting?

Anyway, Bill. thanks very much for all your efforts, it's highly appreciated.
And I've got more research to do :-)
Regards,
Martin.

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