Chinese Ceramic Pottery Marks

This is a list of chinese porcelain pieces that have been decorated in such a way that the decoration includes a date.

Chinese ceramic pottery marks.

The earliest pottery marks found on chinese pottery are from the qin dynasty bc248 207 the han dynasty bc206 ad220 and the three kingdoms period 220 280. This practise of applying stamped four character qianlong nian zhi marks was especially common on porcelain decorated in hong kong during the 1960s and 70s but is in no way limited to this period. This resulted in many porcelain marks simply comprising empty underglaze blue double circles or the use of auspicious symbols in underglaze blue such as an artemesia leaf a lingzhi mushroom or the head of a. Mar 18 2015 explore sandi logan s board collection of porcelain pottery makers marks followed by 367 people on pinterest.

Serving as both evidence of its origin age and often times quality the makers mark on a porcelain item is the first place many collectors look before making a purchase. Marks found on chinese ceramics are significantly different from those on european antique ceramics. Later porcelain with this mark are often called fakes however the occurrence of this mark on later porcelain is most of the time seen as part of the decoration and not to be taken serious. The position of the mark would depend on the piece itself but generally speaking for vessels like vases bowls or plates it can be found on the base but there are instances where pieces bear a single line mark to the rim or even on the interior.

For any piece of fine china the porcelain mark is a symbol of pride in the manufacturer s workmanship. Reign marks can play a pivotal role in helping to identify the period in which chinese artefacts were created. Reign marks are not limited to chinese porcelain they can be found on anything from jades to lacquerware from bronzes to cloisonné enamels. The marks listed below are grouped as far as was possible in a logical order with similar signs graphics shapes etc grouped together.

There was a brief time during the kangxi period in 1667 when the emperor issued an edict forbidding the use of his reign mark on porcelain in case the ceramics were smashed and discarded. A collection of pottery marks using photos and images from our antique collection for easy reference and as a quick guide to the possible attribution of your latest porcelain collectible or pottery marks. Porcelain marks are the fingerprints of antique china. Reign marks should be studied alongside the many different variations of hallmarks auspicious marks potters marks and symbols that you find on the bases of chinese porcelain throughout the ages.

Reign marks are usually four or six characters in length and can be found on the base or the side of an item. The dates are almost exclusively given as chinese cyclical dates which are repeated in 60th year cycles without a reference to the period of the reigning emperor it is thus possible to by mistake date a piece 60 years back or forward in time.