This page is established in an attempt to put closer dates on Chinese Export porcelain from the mid 19th century up until the 1930s. All pieces and marks illustrated here are from porcelain specifically exported to the Straits Chinese population in South East Asia during this period. Click the thumbnail pictures to see an enlargement.
| Tongzhi (1862-1874) period | |
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16. Kamcheng. Top rim diameter 122 mm. Mark: Tongzhi Nian Zhi - "Tongzhi (1862-1874) Period Made". |
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25. Hand Spittoon. Mark: Tongzhi Nian Zhi - "Tongzhi (1862-1874) Period Made". |
| Guangxu (1875-1908) period | |
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13. Table Spittoon. Height 98 mm. Mark: Guangxu Nian Zhi - "Guangxu Period Make. |
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15. Table Spittoon. Height 125 mm. Mark: Da Qing Guangxu Nian Zhi - "Great Qing Guangxu Period Make". |
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32. Bowl. Diameter 13,6 cm, height 6,4 cm. Mark: Guangxu Nian Zao - "Great Qing Guangxu Period Make". Datable to the last decades of the 19th century due to the similarity of the marks to a dated piece # 408 decorated and signed "Painted by Li Yan Qing in 1887". This artists seems to have been working specifically for Penang since the same hand has signed item # Str_29 below for "Mr. Tan". |
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1194. Finger's bowl. Mark: Guangxu Nian Zhi - "Guangxu Period Make". |
| Xuantong (1909-12) | |
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1. Spoon with yellow enameled decoration. The spoon is fired on three kiln supports. Pheasant with closed tail, the underside features three "Fu" bats. The mark says Xuantong Nian Zhi meaning "Xuantong (1909 -1912) Period Made" with the number "1" incorporated in the center of the mark. |
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10. Plate with phoenix with three parted tail. The mark says Xuantong Nian Zhi meaning "Xuantong (1909 -1912) Period Made" with the number "1" incorporated in the center of the mark. |
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2. Spoon with yellow enameled decoration. The spoon is fired on three kiln supports. Pheasant with closed tail, the underside features three "Fu" bats. The mark says Xuantong Nian Zhi meaning "Xuantong (1909 -1912) Period Made" with the number "0" incorporated in the center of the mark. |
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12. Bowl. Xuantong Nian Zhi - "Xuantong (1909-1912) Period Make". |
| Republic (1912-49) Minguo | |
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22. Cylindrical Teapot. Height to top rim 197 mm. Mark: Zhong Hua Min Guo Nian Zhi - "Republic of China Period (1912-49) Made". (Unusual six character mark). |
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26. Bowl. Rim diam. 67 mm. Mark: Zhong Hua Min Guo - "Republic of China (1912-49)". |
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19. Bowl with pierced lid. Top rim diameter 81 mm. Mark: Zhong Hua Min Guo - "Republic of China (1912-49)". |
| Guan Yao Nei Zao | |
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1195. Kamcheng. Mark: Guan Yao Nei Zao - "Imperial Kiln/Ware Internal Make". |
| Jiangxi Guan Yao | |
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4. Milk Jug with one of the few marks in underglaze blue there is, on wares decorated in the Straits color scheme. Mark says: Jiang Xi Guan Yao - "Jiangxi Official/Imperial Kiln/Ware". |
| Jingdezhen Hui Shun Chang (Company) Made | |
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23. Teapot with olive enameled background. Mark: Jing Zhen Hui Shun Chang - "Jingdezhen Hui Shun Chang (Company) Made". |
| Tong Xin Fa (Hao = Company) | |
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3. Bowl w slightly rounded sides, with green and pink enamels. On the glazed base there are five ceramic kiln support marks. A feature normally expected only on Japanese porcelain. The mark says Tong Xin Fa Hao where "Tong Xin Fa" is a name and Hao means Company, Enterprise or Shop/s. This mark could thus be that of the ordering company. |
| Tu Mao Xing (Company) Made | |
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5. Milk Jug. Tu Mao Xing Zao - "Tu Mao Xing (Company) made". |
| Zhan Fu Xing (Company) Made | |
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7. Fingers bowl. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
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8. Censer. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
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21. Censer, large. Top rim diameter 235 mm, height 179 mm. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
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9. Plate with phoenix. White w pink border. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
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11. Table Spittoon. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
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14. Joss stick holder. Height 246 mm. Mark: Zhan Fu Xing Zao - "Zhan Fu Xing (Company) made". |
| Cheng Yi Tai (Company) Made | |
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17. Joss stick holder. Height 246 mm. Mark: Cheng Yi Tai Zao - "Cheng Yi Tai (Company) Made." |
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18. Joss stick holder. Height 208 mm. Mark: Cheng Yi Tai Zao - "Cheng Yi Tai (Company) Made. |
| Hu Shun Chang (Company) Made | |
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20. Bowl with pierced lid. Top rim diameter 82 mm. Mark: Hu Shun Chang Zao - "Hu Shun Chang (Company) Made" |
| Shu Yi Shun (Company) Made | |
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24. Coffee pot. Height to top rim 116 mm. Mark: Shu Yi Shun Zao - "Shu Yi Shun (Company) Made". |
| Zhou Shun Ding (Company) Made | |
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27. Dish. Diam. 90 mm. Mark: Zhou Shun Ding Zao - "Zhou Shun Ding (Company) Made". |
| Privately Commissioned | |
| These marks are those who for the time being appears to have been privately commissioned and marked by a personal name. Kindly click the pictures for enlargements of each piece and mark illustrated. | |
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6. Lidded Jar. Mark: Xie Bai Xue Shi - "(Made for) Madam Xie Bai Xue". |
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29. Plate. Chen Jin Long Zhi . Made to / ordered by Chen Jin Long. The plate is known to have been commissioned for a Mr. Tan from Penang and has the characteristic motif associated with Penang pieces.
Comment on transcription of name; The first character is Chen in Mandarin, Chan in Cantonese and Tan in Singapore / Malaysia. |
| Recent Additions | |
| Kindly click the pictures for a larger picture of each piece and mark illustrated. | |
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30. Plate, from Singapore. Incorporated in the rim border decoration is the surname of the owners, Siow in Mandarin. Base mark: Xin Guang Yuan Zhi - Xin Guang Yuan ( Company ) Made. |
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31. Plate, from Malacca. Incorporated in the rim border decoration is the surname of the owners, Pan in Mandarin or Phua, in the Hokkein dialect. Base mark: Jin Qing Zhen Cang - "Jin Qing (personal name) Precious Treasure". Jin Qing could be a brother or relative to Jin Long mentioned in base #29. |
Kindly note that all preliminary information here is published by a unique grant by the owners, for the benefit of research. No material published here are to be cited, copied, taken from or linked to in any form. Photography, content and web design © Jan-Erik Nilsson, 2001.
The marks section of Gotheborg.com was initially established in May 2000 thanks to a generous donation of approximately one hundred images of Japanese porcelain marks, by Karl-Hans Schneider from Euskirchen, Germany. This contribution provided a modest yet substantial beginning of the Marks Section. It was a kind gesture that I really appreciated.
Of the many later contributors, I would especially want to mention Albert Becker, Somerset, UK, who was the first to help with some translations and comments on the Japanese marks. His work was then greatly extended by Ms. Gloria S. Garaventa, after which Mr. John Avery looked into and corrected some of the dates. Most of the Satsuma marks were originally submitted by Ms. Michaela Russell, Brisbane, Australia. A section which was then greatly extended by Ian & Mary Heriot, a large amount of information from which still awaits publication.
A warm thank you also goes to John R. Skeens, Florida, U.S.A., and Toru Yoshikawa for the Kitagawa Togei section, and to Susan Eades for her help and encouragement towards the creation of the Moriyama section. For the last full overhaul of the Satsuma and Kutani sections, thank you to Howard Reed, Australia. The most recent larger contribution was made by Lisa M. Surowiec, New Jersey, USA.
In 2004 and from then on, my warm thank you goes to John Wocher and Howard Reed, whose knowledge and interest have sparked new life into this section and given reason for a new overhaul. Thank you again and thank you to all I have not mentioned here, for all help and interest in and contributions to our knowledge of 20th-century Japanese porcelain.
The Chinese marks section would not have been possible without the dedicated help of Mr. Simon Ng, City University of Hong Kong, whose translations and personal efforts in researching the origin and dates of the different marks have been an invaluable resource. It has since been greatly extended by several contributors such as Cordelia Bay, USA, Walt Brygier, USA, Bonnie Hoffmann, Harmen Lensink, 'Tony' Yalin Zhang, Beijing, 'ScottLoar', Shanghai, Mike Harty, and many more expert members of the Gotheborg Discussion Board.
A number of reference pieces have also been donated by Simon Ng, N K Koh, Singapore, Hans Mueller, USA, Hans Slager, Belgium, William Turnbull, Canada, and Tony Jalin Zhang, Beijing.
All images and text submitted by visitors and published anywhere on this site are and remain the copyrighted property of the submitter and appears here by permission of the owners which can be revoked at any time. All information on this site, that are not specifically referenced to peer reviewed sources, are the personal opinions given in good faith by me, my friends and fellow experts, based on photos and the owners' submitted descriptions. They are not to be used for any financial or commercial decisions, but for educational and personal interest only, and can and will be changed as further information merits.
For further studies, Encyclopedia Britannica is to be recommended in preference to Wikipedia, which, not being peer-reviewed, might contain misleading information.
Web design and content as it appears here © Jan-Erik Nilsson 1996-.
Base/mark enlargement
Base/mark enlargement