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You are here: Home / Chinese Art History Research / Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks An Introduction | Asian Studies

Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks An Introduction | Asian Studies

October 17, 2016 By plcombs

Examining Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks

 

Ming Zhengde Zhadou mark

Ming Zhengde Zhadou reign mark on dragon Zhadou

chinese ming chenghua bowl

Ming Dynasty Chenghua Bowl

Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks and Authenticity, An Introduction To Seals

Chinese Reign Marks Are Nice, But Never Proof

Chinese reign marks and understanding them with regards to authenticating ceramics is a complicated topic. As a general rule of thumb, until everything else indicates a particular period of making ignore the marks . Having an appropriate mark is nice, however, they should never be used to confirm an object's age. Having "mark and period " piece is desirable, but with few exceptions a mark alone isn't a reliable indicator of period. A mark may provide a starting point on where and what to look for, but little else.

Any good calligrapher schooled in Chinese script can copy reign marks with considerable skill. However, in time most of the marks you're likely to encounter will be done so amateurishly, you'll be able to disregard the majority at a glance. Copies of marks are 100 times more common than authentic examples, knowing this will be a greater aid in spotting fakes than originals.

The Copied Chinese Reign Mark as a TRIBUTE Myth

Chinese porcelain makers, and virtually all other artisans in China have copied previous era marks and names for centuries. The old wives tale that it was done as a "Tribute" to previous eras is utter nonsense.  Using prior reign and other marks was always done to take advantage  of buyers for financial gain.

During the late Ming dynasty, earlier Ming marks were used, in the early Qing dynasty Ming marks were often used.  By the mid to late 19th C. and early 20th C. all reign marks were used regularly . Kangxi marks and Ming marks were particularly popular between 1850 and 1900 . During the 20the C. all marks remained in use, including copies of very rare Kangxi and Yongzheng enamel wares. Today, incredibly convincing examples are being made with special emphasis on 18th C. Qianlong pieces in all forms.

The Lamp Effect

During the 1920's to 1960's many mark and period vases were drilled and made into lamps. Consequently, forgers today are actually drilling fakes to give the appearance of authenticity, hoping buyers will assume wrongly that the pieces are old.  Often doing it in such a way that the mark is still readable enough to fool the optimistic bargain hunter.

Remember

In some instances, marks can be useful as guides.  However, they are the last visual clue knowledgeable collectors, dealers and curators look to.   Be VERY suspicious if you enter an auction hall or antique shop with numerous mark and period porcelains.  Real mark and period pieces were very rare 40 years ago, much more so today.

A few examples of marks and how they might appear, modern fakes, old copies and period examples. 

kangxi bowl with chenghua mark

Kangxi Bowl with Chenghua mark

fake qianlong plate

Brand new Fake Qianlong marked plate

Republican period bowl with Qianlong mark

Republican period bowl with Qianlong mark

Qianlong mark on late 19th to early 20th C. vase.

Qianlong mark on late 19th to early 20th C. vase.

late ming dish with chenghua mark

Late Ming Dish with Chenghua mark

kangxi-bowl-imperial-

Mark and period Kangxi Imperial Bowl

19th C. vase with Qianlong Mark

19th C. vase with Qianlong Mark

Late 19th C. vase with Kangxi Mark

Late 19th C. vase with Kangxi Mark

Marks of the Qing Dynasty

qing-reign marks

Qing Dynasty Reign Marks

Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks

Reign marks on Chinese porcelains, bronzes, jades, scholar's objects and other objects should only be viewed as part of dating analysis.

Moreover, marks are a very minor part of determining age. Once learned, the stylistic aspects of marks will tell you more often what the age of an object isn't, more so than what it is. 

The vast majority of marks (98%+) found on Chinese objects are inaccurate as an attribution to age. 

 

Marks of the Ming Dynasty

ming dynasty reign marks

Ming Dynasty Reign Marks

Guangxu Reign Marks on Porcelain (1875-1908)

Click to enlarge for a better look

guangxu reign mark cong vase

guangxu bowl with reign mark

guangxu vase with mark

guangxu six character mark

guangxu mark in red

guangxu blue and white mark

Tongzhi Reign Marks on Porcelain (1862-1874)

Click to enlarge for a better look

tongzhi four character mark

tongzhi six character mark

tongzhi four character mark

tongzhi seal mark

tongzhi red seal mark

Xianfeng Reign Marks on Porcelain (1851-1861)

Click to enlarge for a better look

Xianfeng Reign Mark

Xianfeng Reign Mark Blue and white

Xianfeng Reign Marks in Iron Red

Daoguang Reign Marks on Porcelain (1821 to 1850)

Click to enlarge for a better look

daoguang blue seal reign mark

daoguang blue square seal mark

daoguang red seal reign mark

chinese daoguang seal mark

daoguang-2

daoguang reign marked hat stand

Jiaqing Reign Marks on Porcelain (1796 to 1820)

Click to enlarge for a better look
Chinese Reign Marks

Chinese jiaqing reign mark on vase

Chinese Reign Marks

jiaqing red seal on turquoise ground

Chinese Reign Marks

chinese jiaqing blue and white reign mark

Qianlong Reign Marks on Porcelain (1736 to 1795)

Click to enlarge for a better look

qianlong reign mark on stem cup

qianlong gilt seal mark n blue ground

qianlong-four-character reign mark

qianlong four character imperial mark

qianlong reign mark on chinese vase

qianlong red seal square reign mark bowl

qianlong blue and white reign mark vase

imperial qianlong four character mark

qianlong-vase with reign mark

Yongzheng Reign Marks on Porcelain (1723 to 1735)

Click to enlarge for a better look

yongzheng square seal reign mark

chinese yongzheng blue and white reign mark

yongzheng written reign mark

yongzheng blue and white plate reign mark

youngzheng mark and period seal

youngzheng blue and white reign mark script

youngzheng reign marks on dishes

Yongzheng Hu Form vase

Kangxi Reign Marks on Porcelain (1661 to 1722)

Click to enlarge for a better look

kangx blue and white mark

kangxi-six character mark

kangxi blue and white reign mark

kangxi marked bowl

reign mark on Kangxi cup

kangxi-9

kangxi blue and white bowl reign mark

kangxi reign mar in circle

kangx reign mark script

chinese kangxi peach bloom reign mark

Shunzhi (1644 to 1661), Chongzhen (1628-1643 and Tianqi (1621-1627) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

Late Ming to Early Qing Reign Marks

These marks are nearly unknown.  When found they are invariably on 19th-20th C. porcelains and objects.  Most marks found on porcelains from these periods, if any,  are from earlier in the Ming dynasty, in particular from the Jiajing period. 

 shunzhi-v

 

chongzhen mark

tianqi-mark

Wanli (1573-1619) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

chinese wanli reign mark

Wanli reign mark bowl

wanli reign mark on cup

 

chinese wanli mark and period bowl

 

wanli mark and period pot

 

wanli reign mark on jar

 

Longqing (1567-1572) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

Chinese Porcelain Reign Marks: Lonqing period

An extremely short reign lasting only a few years with little porcelain output. This was a period of economic turmoil in China following the financially disastrous reign of the Jiajing emperor. 

longqing-1

 

longqing reign mark on bowl

Jiajing (1522-1566) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

jiajing blue and white reign mark

Ming jiajing reign marked bowl

jiajing mark and period bowl

 

yellow jiajing enamel reign marked bowl

 

jiajing Mark and period dish

 

jiajing blue and white reign mark

 

jiajing reign marked bowl

jiajing blue and white reign mark

jiajing chinese reign mark

 

jiajing reign mark double circle

large Jiajing jar with reign mark

 

jiajing blue and white reign marked bowl

 

Zhengde (1506-1521) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

Chinese zhengde four character mark

Chinese bowl zhengde four character mark

Chinese zhengde four character marked lotus bowl

 

Chinese zhengde four character mark on Bowl

Blue and white Chinese zhengde four character mark

 

Chinese bowl zhengde four character mark

 

Hongzhi (1488-1505) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

hongzhi reign mark

Chinese bowl with hongzhi reign mark

Yellow glazed hongzhi reign mark bowl

 

hongzhi reign marked bowl

green dragon bowl hongzhi reign mark

 

hongzhi reign mark

 

Chenghua (1465-1487) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

chenghua marked bowl

chenghua mark and period chicken cup

 mallow bowl chenghua reign mark

 

chenghua mark and period persimmon bowl

mallow bowl with chenghua reign mark

 

chenghua mark and period dragon dish

 

Xuande (1426-1435) Reign Marks on Porcelain

Click to enlarge for a better look.

xuande reign mark

 

blue and white xuande reign mark

xuande mark and period jar

 

xuande mark and period dish

xuande mark and period bowl

xuande reign marked lotus bowl

 

xuande-dragon-jar reign mark

Yongle (1403-1424) Reign Marks

NOTE: Reign marks at this time were very rarely applied to porcelains. Limited to a Chicken cups and a couple known "Tianbai" (Sweet White) vases.

yongle mark and period

yongle emperor reign mark

yongle reign marked bronze

 

yongle six character reign mark

Hongwu (1368-1398) Reign Marks

NOTE: Reign marks at this time were not applied to porcelains. There are no known examples.

Filed Under: Chinese Art History Research Tagged With: Authentic Chinese Porcelain, Imperial seals, mark and period, Ming Dynasty, Ming porcelain, Qing Dynasty, Qing porcelain, Reign Marks

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