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Hello
I was wondering if anyone could decipher the inscription on the base of this vase. I understand that part of it is a series of numbers. It's about 6" tall , I can't tell if it's glass or very fine porcelain.

The mark contains the monopoly patent statement and ID number for such wares as your vase and others produced and sold in the late 19th century by Japanese entrepreneur Takeuchi Chubei. Check the URL and photo which also has Takeuchi Chubei's company mark in the two lower stacks of characters. The textured glaze on these pieces led to them being called 'Sharkskin' wares.

Best regards,

Bill H.



URL Title :Sharkskin

Forgot to add, in the West, Japanese and other products with this kind of glaze were sold under the name "Coraline". The firing process was very difficult, so much so that Japanese makers only produced it for about a decade in the late Meiji period.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank you Bill H and Martin M.
That really completes the story , T.Chubei sounds like a real pioneer of glazing techniques and I'm very pleased to have an example . It's quite badly cracked but still very pretty.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Sally

The mark reads from right to left: Senbai 專賣 Tokkyo 特許 2 25 25 15 二 二五 二五 一五 (= National patent 2252515). It's the mark of Takeuchi Chubei and this kind of vases is called Shippo ware.

Takeuchi Chubei (1852-1922) started at Shippo Kaisha, but left the company in 1881. He had a studio in Nagoya, Aichi at Shindomachi. He was the first artist in Japan to successfully make a Pearskin glaze (Ishime Yaki) - also often called Sharkskin Peachbloom glaze - on porcelain (cloisonné on porcelain). Ishime Yaki was developed and created by Takeuchi in 1889. It took 20 years to complete after he had an idea what to create. It is the most unique pottery ever created in Nagoya. The Sharkskin (Coralene or Ishime Yaki) ground was patented number 2252515 and produced for a relatively short period in the late 19th century.

Underneath an other example of this mark.

Regards,
Martin.

Looks to me as if it is a Chinese name: 許特賣書 '"written by Xu TeMai".

The numbers could be anything from a catalog entry or a phone number. 5152522

From the photo, I suggest it's glass.

Thanks Mikeoz, that's intriguing

Cute creature btw Bill

The cute one is the 'Minogame', the Japanese longevity turtle. He's so old, he has a train of seaweed growing off the back of his shell. At my age, I'm pretty much a 'mossback' myself. :)

Bill H.

Brilliant , love it

Just some more pictures showing a variety of designs. The jar with figures and married silver lid may be depicting one of the immortals showing off a mythical beast in the one shot. I'm not completely up to snuff in matters of the Japanese pantheon of immortals. Maybe someone else can educate both of us.

Best regards,

Bill H.

What a wonderful collection , and another quirky creature. The bottle vase on the left looks like a larger blue version of the one I have.
Thanks again for sharing
Sally

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