Reign Marks
Chinese ceramics often have a reign mark on the base indicating the date the object was made. They can be made up of four to six Chinese characters, in kaishu (normal script) or zhuanshu (archaic seal script). Zhuanshu was developed from bronze inscriptions and stylized into a form of calligraphy. The first two characters of six character reign marks consist of the name of the dynasty, for example Da Qing (Great Qing) followed by the name with which the period was made, for example Kangxi (after the Kangxi emperor) and finally nian zhi (period made). When four characters are used, the title of the dynasty is omitted, e.g Kangxi nian zhi.
Reign marks are commonly framed by a double circle. Painted in underglaze blue but also red, gold and other colours. Overglaze colours popular from Qianlong period onwards (examples on guyuexuan items).
They do not necessarily correspond to the period in which the object was actually made as many give an earlier reign to increase the prestige of the object. The most popularly referred to reigns are those of the Xuande emperor (1425-1435), Chenghua (1465-1487) and Jiajing (1522-1566), all periods of the Ming dynasty.
During the Kangxi period (1662-1722) a ban was enforced on marking non-Imperial ware with reign marks. This led to the appearance of empty double circles and other marks, such as the hare staring at the moon mark, the artemisia leaf and the open lozenge (see below). These were considered symbols of good fortune. Reign marks from earlier periods were also used. By the middle of the reign there is evidence that reign marks were once again being used on non-imperial wares.
Chinese Marks
Examples:
1938.P.38, Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) six character reign mark, Da Qing Kangxi nian zhi - of the period
1938.P.51, Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795) six character seal mark, Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi – of the period
1942.P.530.5.1, Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795) four character seal mark, Qianlong nian zhi – late nineteenth century/early twentieth century
1942.P.530.42, Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795) four character seal mark, Qianlong nian zhi – late nineteenth century/early twentieth century
1939.P.170, Chenghua Emperor (1465-1487) six character reign mark, Da Ming Chenghua nian zhi – Qing dynsty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722
1938.P.42, Wanli Emperor (1573-1619) six character reign mark, Da Ming Wanli nian zhi – of the period
1940.P.329, artemisia leaf, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722
1943.P.574.2, hare looking at the moon, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722
1940.P.333, open lozenge, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722
Japanese marks
Examples
2734, Makuzo Kozan mark, 1900-1915
1941.P.379.1, Fuku mark, mid-late eighteenth century, Edo period
1941.P.403, Fuku mark, 1780-1800, Edo period
1947.P.20.1, Chenghua Emperor (1465-1487) six character reign mark, Da Ming Chenghua nian zhi, nineteenth century
1964.P.90.2, ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ mark, 1945-1952
Japanese ceramics can be marked by the master potters who made them. An example of this is the bowl made by Makuzo Kozan. Kozan's porcelains were marked in an evolution of his signature, after 1900 this developed into an imitation of a Chinese seal mark which continued until 1915 when it began to be written inside a double circle.
The Imari dish with a Chenghua period mark is an example of porcelain made in Japan at the Arita kilns in the nineteenth century with this type of mark.
Fuku or ‘happiness’ marks are common on Japanese ceramics. Two examples are illustrated here.
Pieces with ‘Made in Occupied Japan’ date from 1945 to 1952.
