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Satsuma?

by Norma Westwood
(Florida)

Peter,
I am curious about this piece I have owned for a number of years. Is it an authentic "Satsuma" ? It is quiet beautiful! The art is so colorful! I appreciate any knowledge anyone can share.
Thanks so much,
Norma Westwood

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Satsuma
by: Snap

The original late 19th-century Satsuma wares were a fine earthenware, not porcelain. Some were quite exquisitely decorated, but not usually with landscape/people scenes. Subsequently many Kyoto-area porcelain factories and others began making densely-decorated porcelain wares often marked with a 'satsuma' name, completely for export to the West. Westerners and particularly USA buyers like extremely elaborate designs and the more 'gold' (brass powder in enamels, usually) the better. These are what Westerners almost always mean (incorrectly) when they call something "Satsuma." The kilns in the original Satsuma production area also produced earthenwares for export, decorated in Western taste with such things as enameled scattered flowers and/or butterflies and crazed surface glazes, but these are less common. I have seen such things as dishes and mugs with 'crabstock'-type (British style) handles. In the 20th century Chinese factories also began making imitations of the porcelain Kyoto wares with printed marks saying such as things as "Royal Satsuma."

The figures on your dish look to me like painted in a modern Chinese style, as Peter suggested. The raised enamel dots suggest an attempt to imitate a Japanese export (to West) style. Such a mix of decorative styles suggests a recent product with decorative value of however much you personally like the piece. There are several possible porcelain production centres that could have made it. Since it is not at all likely to be an antique, it does not matter where exactly it was made.
ceramic bottle
by: peter

Hi, I cannot read the mark. I assume that it says "HANDPAINTED ???? SA???A". Well does it say Satsuma?
I cannot tell if it is Satsuma, but I am no Japanese porcelain specialist...From the colors of the decoration it looks different. As far as I know, Satsuma is known for its gilt decorations, but there is no gilt here.
The Kanji characters seem to be: 陶瓷精品
The second character is not commonly used for porcelain in Japanese, but it is used in Chinese.
Japanese is more likely to use 陶磁器 in place of 陶瓷.
The whole of these four characters give the impression of being Chinese rather than Japanese.
Therefore, I would think it could be an imitation of Japanese porcelain made elsewhere (perhaps in China).
Maybe someone knowing more about Japanese ceramics can tell for sure what it is?

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