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Dear All
I hope you won’t mind me reaching out—I’ve recently acquired a pair of Japanese blue and white porcelain bowls that have prompted a fair bit of research and curiosity on my part. I’d deeply appreciate your insight or opinion on their origin and authenticity if you're able to spare a moment.
The bowls are finely potted with a delicate scalloped rim, and decorated in deep cobalt underglaze with a radial botanical motif—possibly stylised iris or chrysanthemum. Each measure approximately 10" in diameter and carries a small hand-painted blue mark on the base. The design, foot treatment, and overall quality have led me to believe they may be in the Nabeshima or Nabeshima-style tradition, though likely mid-20th century or later export pieces rather than Edo-period originals.
What I’ve observed so far:
• Iron spotting around the foot—oxidised areas that appear kiln-related rather than surface staining.
• Clean glaze application, particularly around the foot rim, with no signs of pooling or artificial ageing.
• Under-glaze iron specks visible under magnification, which seem to indicate traditional firing processes.
• One bowl has a minor chip to the foot, but otherwise both pieces are in excellent condition.
I’ve compared the backstamp with similar mid-century Japanese export marks and found an identical one on a listing titled “Japanese Blue and White Scalloped Bowl”, priced at $150 USD. However, I’d love to verify whether these are genuine examples of Arita or Nabeshima-style ware, or later studio reproductions of good quality.
I’m not looking to sell them immediately—I'm a vintage collector and storyteller with a deep appreciation for authenticity and historical context. Any guidance you might be able to offer would be incredibly appreciated.
Warmest regards,
Angela Hart
Vintage Detectives
“Rescuing objects, restoring stories”

Dear Angela,

I appretiated your detective analyses. But you’ll soon realize that few experts here can provide definitive answers about your piece, as assessing its value or origin typically requires examining the object firsthand.

That said, I should note that I’m just an African-Brazilian student of Japanese language and culture, so please don’t take my assumptions too seriously!

However, your piece appears to me to be a development of the Aoki Brothers (Aoki Kyodai-Shokai), an Arita porcelain workshop formerly marked with the character 青 (as part of the name 青木 Aoki) in underglaze blue. Your mark—which is upside down in the photo—matches one used by the Aoki workshop during the Taisho period (1912–1926). Which is quite possible be the case, but the mark itself itsn't enough guarantee as you may know.

For comparison, you might find this resource helpful:

https://modernjapanesepotterymarks.blogspot.com/2013/02/

https://gotheborg.com/marks/20thcenturyjapan.shtml#arita

Have a nice weekend
Renato

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