Mark: Satsuma yaki under the Shimazu family crest. Generic Satsuma marks refer to marks added to a Japanese ceramic piece to indicate a style in general instead being the name of a specific company, studio or any individual artist.ġ244. Introductory text written by and together with several expert members of the Gotheborg Discussion Board. Please also notice that the authenticity of many of the more important marks below are uncertain. Sandra Andacht, in her Treasury of Satsuma book, quotes a 19th century visitor to the Kinkozan factory, saying that "the same glazed pots were decorated in two styles, the one being called Kyoto or Awata ware, and the other Satsuma". The paste and glaze is probably the same as on Satsuma ware while the style of decoration is different. Later on, Satsuma style wares was also produced in Yokohama and Tokyo. "Satsuma Gosu Blue" was produced in very limited quantity in Kyoto in the mid-19th century, and is now the most sought after of the Satsuma wares.Ī comment on Kyoto or Awata wares as compared to Satsuma ware is that pieces manufactured in Awata near Kyoto, after the Edo period, are all called Kyoto Satsuma. Gosu Blue is distinctive with a very thick glaze that can be either dark blue, green or black depending on the firing. ![]() The colour Gosu Blue is found on a type of Satsuma which used to be called Imperial Satsuma circa late 19 century. In spite of very good quality work, many good pieces are simply unmarked. For most of the "Zan brothers" (marks incorporating the Japanese character for mountain = zan) nothing is known. Meizan has pieces authenticated as being done in Kanazawa (Kutani). Satsuma was produced in Kagoshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Kanazawa by hundreds of known artists, in many styles and by literally thousands of unknown decorators. These wares thus inspired a whole design movement in the West known as Japonism. Items for export were often decorated with obscure and unrelated themes chosen for their drama and exoticism. Just to make it easier for the interested collector to find his way to the information offered here, I have chosen to collect any and all Satsuma looking wares, here.Ĭeramics bearing the Satsuma Kamon were made well outside of the borders of Kyushu. The success of the Satsuma export decorative style inspired many followers, some of which have a stoneware body or one of pure white porcelain. If that however had been the case, the crest would in that case been blue, since that was also the Shimazu clan colors. The circle with a cross that often make up a part of the marks, are the Shimazu mon or the family crest of the clan that ruled Satsuma Han however I doubt that any one of the Shimazu clan ever owned or, let alone ordered one Satsuma export style ware piece to be made. These first wares were a massive and hard stoneware, covered with a thick dark glaze, a ware that are so rare that only museums might have a few to show. ![]() The first historical kilns here were established by Korean potters in the late 16th century. If you click the map icon to the right you will find this as the Satsuma area on the southern Kyushu island. The original Satsuma Han however has a much longer history than that. The production soon spread to several cities such as Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama and elsewhere throughout Japan, from the Meiji period (1868-1912) up until today. Most high quality export 'Satsuma' is easily recognized by its finely crackled glaze and by the fact that its yellowish earthenware body does not "ring" when tapped. ![]() There were many masterpieces created during its heyday and several studios have created eternal fame for their names with these magnificent wares. Most of the marks below will detail this latter wares since this is what we see most of.Īt the same time, other artists were producing exquisite wares of the highest quality. The Japanese themselves had very little interest in this ware.įrom around the 1890s to the early 1920s more than 100 artist at least twenty larger studios or factories were producing "Satsuma" wares of which much were of low quality and destined for the European and American export markets. This ware is in fact an export product specifically designed in the mid 19th century to cater to the western export market. The typical Satsuma ware we most of the time comes into contact with is a yellowish earthenware usually decorated with a minute decoration with Japanese figures, expressive faces or detailed oriental landscapes, or sometimes embellished with vivid dragons in relief. Photo: Curtesy Ian and Mary Heriot Coll., New Zealand 2019. Large Satsuma vase depicting the seven gods of good fortune.
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