Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

Hi members
Could someone translate ,This Chinese makers mark
please?

Many thanks Fred.

The upside-down mark shown for your 19th-early 20th century Chinese cloisonne brush washer reads apocryphally when flipped "Made during the Ming Dynasty" (Da Ming Nian Zhi). Check the following links for comparisons.

Best regards,

Bill H.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255797302363

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265014673563

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/_cloisonne-brush-washer-5a36

Reading upside down is again my downfall. The last character in the mark is pronounced “zao” not “zhi”.

Bill H.

Thanks Phil H.
For you great reply.
Interesting translation,thought it would be maker.

Not sure if you have seen one of my very early posts re who I feel the maker was of these dragon cloisonne items? my box with similar dragon.

I feel the maker of these was Laotian Li-Folk cloisonne workshops cloisonne company 1860-1930.

Regards Fred.

No way this cloisonné was made in Laos. I spent two years all over that country during the early 1970s and collected some of the native Lao Buddhistic silverwork and woven silks. However, any cloisonné work sold in Laos of such high caliber would have been imported from Sino-Thai antique dealers in Bangkok via Thai trading centers across the Mekong from Lao cities like Pakse, Savannakhet, Thakek and the capital at Vientiane. Later I spent a total of six years in Thailand, including three at Udon Thani, very close to the Mekong port across from Vientiane at Nong Khai, where I satisfied my antiquing habit in shops selling both Thai, Lao and the occasional Chinese piece. Ain't fibbing when I say, "Been there, Done that!" Don't have time to sort through my basket, but I'm sure some of what is shown amidst the Chinese, Burmese and Japanese stuff also includes Lao stuff.

Best regards,

Bill H.

I also believe your identification may a confused version of the name of famous late 19th-early 20th century Chinese maker Lao Tian Li (老天利), who lived from 1860-1930. See the below URL Link to the website of Beadiste, one of the most authoritative sources on the subject I've ever encountered.

Best regards,

Bill H.



URL Title :Lao Tian Li

Hi Phil
thanks again for your comments.I think my spelling incorrectly Lao Tian Li, confused you in your first answer,about Laos.

I am not confused about attributing these many dragon items (early ones) to the factory of Lao Tian Li.
As you can see in the Beadisite article,He named this style of dragon after that company.

in his article we see two small plates one dated 1930S the other 1980-90s

As we can see my box is very similar to the 1930s plate in colours and stlye.

We do not know if all these yellow,black,blue dragon items were made by the Lao Tian li company

But at this stage until other evidence ,I am asummning they were.

They all have a very unique style and colouring and I feel are from the early period up to 1930.
whether other companies copied we do not know?

Do you have any suggestions to which other companies made items with the Laq Tian Li ,dragons?

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |