@julia, I think I'm to blame for Brian's feelings. I could have worded my response a lot better, or perhaps just ignored his inference... I didn't really think he had bad intentions with the 'Japanese' reference, only that it was an irrelevant point to bring up. My bad.

For what it's worth, I think your response was very constructive.

Thank you. I appreciate that. 😊 

At a glance, in summary: 

Piece reads “Dai Nippon Kyoto Yasuda Zo”
(The great Japan, Kyoto, Yasuda made).

The vase (to my eyes) certainly would qualify as Meiji (c. 1900 aka “auction house dating” for the majority of these).

The quality is not poor at all; but it’s not “exceedingly” spectacular either, mostly due to having seen better days for its condition.
It has a certain composition to it which lends itself being more divisive in opinion between enthusiasts & collectors. 

(Dear Brian, I expand on my views why I say this in the section where I offered my valuation, which follows some history & ceramic context ramblings contained upcoming below). 

Even if I started typing for a while thinking would like to offer a monthly “unofficial JRN blog” post... I’ll be honest in saying (even for me) this is arduously long - and only partially informative at best.  
Stop now, or forever read not-with-ease...

Still, I have Japanese ceramics to ramble about & tasks needing procrastination: let’s begin. 

So, I can’t touch on everything I’ve read; and likely won’t agree or disagree in entirety with everything posted.
Actually, if I’m doing things right, the same will ideally be said for others having the patience of suffering through reading my post either. 
Why? Because it’s an opinion; and while not all are stated equally, they are all indeed personal.  

Firstly, I do think there’s some misunderstanding on the piece itself, and the classifications/terminology exchanged in the thread. 

Then again; that best embodies what we commonly refer to Satsuma in general.. 
(I read John was at work, so I’ll take up the philosophical mantle for now with a historic twist masking it)..

On Satsuma, and its intriguing nature:
Satsuma was once upon a time initially from its (then namesake) province in Kagoshima Perfecture - and it could be argued that it is indeed true this was “real” satsuma. 

But, if we use that rule of thumb to refer to something as Satsuma or not; then a figure of “many to most of” items called Satsuma since the Meiji Era to now would be ruled out..

Actually, if you saw early Satsuma; there’s a high chance you might not even recognize it as such initially.
Originally it was a very humble ware; and these “true” Satsuma products hailing from much of the Edo period are exceedingly rare.

The the gold application on white bodied satsuma (nishikide) was, even upon creation, highly coveted when produced at first. 
It was reserved for the upper crust of society; with it being said that no commoner saw it throughout Japan’s days of Edo.

Of course, this led to the slight evolution to the eventual form which made its appearance first widely seen at 1867 in Paris at the Exposition Universelle.

From this moment: East met West, West fell in love; and “Satsuma” would lead to quite the headache and confusion in both origin and terminology, (along with eventually offering what I’ve seen as an unintended yet ironic parallel somewhat to the country of Japan itself during this time period). 

I didn’t want to get too wax-philosophical and historical; but I say this especially as there was quite some secret political motivation, conflicts of interest, and misunderstanding/confusion by the (already very confused) west at this first world exhibition which saw Japan gain popularity.

Long story on a long post cut somewhat shorter:
Satsuma domain’s affiliates arrived early and somewhat presented themselves as a separate delegation independently of the Tokugawa’s official convoy sent (as he very much still wanted to be seen as a legitimate and in control ruler during what were his waning days as real power of the country).
The West was really confused - and the various foreign countries ran publications of varying interpretations of the government’s structure and ruling.
(Don’t worry, the Saga domain was just there to secretly order a Dutch warship while in town: but even I’ve had enough symbolism taken far off-trail for now). 

So, pairing with the arrival of Meiji - the outreach of ceramic appeal spread throughout the west (and also the production of such domestically).

While Chin Jukan XII was a famous maker credited with “modern Satsuma” to many hailing from Kagoshima & made wonderful pieces both in the Edo Period’s last years along with the many World Fairs/Expos of Meiji - I can’t discredit Kinkozan in Kyōtō for his amazing accomplishments artistically and as a merchant for the “Satsuma” industry. 

The more satsuma was created; the more the quality varied - and tastes changed/opinions differed. 

Of course, there were western collectors even in the 19th century who wanted this elusive “early Satsuma” fabled to have existed and not those “common exports” now seen by many.

”Imperial Satsuma” of today, was the late 19th century’s answer to that: gosu blue heavy pigment placed more sparsely on light ceramic bodies.

Even in the late 20th century, it was often confused (or sold as) Edo period Satsuma - and often dubbed “Imperial Satsuma”.
(From what I can tell, ironically most of it was made in Kyōtō).

While Kozan (Makuzu) and Ito Tozan both made export Satsuma before they became selected as Teishitsu Gigei-in (Imperial Household Artists), and some studio pieces of similar composition/design: there’s nothing “Imperial” related to most Satsuma dubbed as such. 

About 99.9% of items seen sold as Satsuma in your lifetime; likely started with the intention of being made for export/sale to the west.

Even pieces made in later Edo Kagoshima located kilns themselves, can sell for high 4 or even 5 figures due to scarcity. 
Yet, pieces made in 1900 by Yabu Meizan’s workshoppe for western clients will smack them at top houses 9/10 times.

Which brings me to the final segment here...

Notes further on the piece listed, value/pricing, collecting, the market and motivation focused ramblings - unrelated to the technical history of Satsuma or its classifications:

When I say things ain’t what they used to be for Japanese ceramics, I might be somewhat understandable (compared to normal at least), kids..

There were some good examples of the struggles faced firsthand by posters here both as dealers and collectors addressing some of the ways things may impact our view of items we come across, our personal opinion of quality, subjective tastes, ect.

Brian,
In my personal opinion - the piece (which I can’t find a size posted, but I’m assuming being around 12-14”?) I’d probably price in the range of $300-$500USD, yet this could swing up or down a couple dollars per a few varying factors.

There are cases where I’ve noticed similar pieces selling for double or triple like your contact mentioned - however there’s a few examples I could point to of equal similarity selling for less than $300 rather recently; and as a complimentary pair.
Selling platforms and venues are all different; you can follow a rule of thumb - but each day is its own. 
Same goes for clients/buyers, too.

(I saw a Ryozan fail to sell at $2,500 the other day - it’s never guaranteed).

While I’m unsure of a direct attribute to Shuzan of the Yasuda company, I can see some similarities with yours; honestly though an unmarked attribute isn’t going to provide much barring a few specialists and the few right buyers.
What I think makes it a nifty piece regardless is a unique blend of Kyōtō export nouveau style in its shape, and Kagoshima-like rendering for the depictions more in domestic taste.

Know what’s crazy though?
I’m so odd in my Satsuma preferences - I admit my tastes don’t always reflect the mainstream..

I’ll look at a lot of the pieces fetching higher prices at the big leagues regularly and ask myself if they were purchased by somebody as crazy as me; yet also with crazier wealth (and crazily high levels of blood-alcohol when bidding possible). 

Art is art: it’s largely subjective, but still reflective in some degrees. 
Selling is selling: it’s complicated, varied, and nuanced even if there’s general themes and trends. 

Ultimately though; the price is whatever somebody pays for it - and not many are paying as much for these as one would expect in other circumstances. 

(Trust me, I get the disappointment friend - when you sell largely Japanese ceramics for a living, it’s not always the best note to wake up to).

The site had a good (real blog) post somewhat recently which had brushed on what once drove prices up, what drove them down, and ect.
I won’t get too in depth about what’s already been more credibly (and concisely) covered over there than I can offer here typing a bible on my phone impromptu - yet it may be worth a read if it hasn’t been seen already. 

This can also be said for the learning/knowledge & research/education.
The times changed and so did the priority for learning more; or re-examining what was once thought to be learned but maybe now is realized as likely incorrect. 

The truth is the current market and information for Japanese ceramics is misunderstood by those entering it now, left it back then, or got frustrated; forsaking it somewhere in between.
These wares are incredibly undervalued right now for the most part. 

Sure, this can be disheartening to read if you’re selling something; or trying to receive a uniform opinion seen as definitive & final, ect.
Conversely, you can choose to view this as an opportunity to keep studying up on them, pushing yourself to get many opinions beyond just a couple, and take risks others might not otherwise consider - or normally view as unconventional. 

Live a bit, and learn even more.
Make an embarrassing mistake (or several), pat yourself on the back for spotting/grabbing a bargain or two, defiantly overpay on a piece because you couldn’t stop from falling in love with it.
Over time, learn from this.
Diversify to include other forms and mediums - fall in love with those and learn from them, too.

I know a lot of people who sell/collect art, but less of them actually love it - and very few from those remaining can authentically say they do all 3.

What I can tell you is that everybody is always going to have an viewpoint; be it one reflecting the majority of their peers, or an outlier being jeered by them. 
Sometimes they’ll be subjectively right, sometimes they’ll be objectively wrong or visa-versa. 

As I said earlier: opinions are what they are at the end of the day.
For both selling & collecting art you need only one for a piece to move onward in its cycle; but the nature of those which you pursue will determine its direction - and yours too. 

You seem pretty passionate for this strange thing called Asian Art.
So be it here on this forum, another one elsewhere, or by yourself and a bunch of old books: I think you should stick with it a little longer and see where this passion leads you. 

Of course, you don’t have to listen to any of this - because I can’t fault not reading past the first paragraph or two.
At the end of the day: it’s really just another opinion, for better or worse.

-JRN

@lotusblack  It seems to me that everyone in this thread has tried to be helpful and offer thoughtful feedback. You have to realize that if you put out the suggestion here that something could be Imperial, you are going to get very direct feedback, and that is good, because you should want to learn the difference. I don't think anyone was calling you a racist, but just trying to teach you and help you so you aren't prone to being misled and making costly mistakes based on misconceptions. It might seem counterintuitive at first, but I have to agree with Greeno, that in this business we cannot tell anyone's assessment abilities based on Nationality. In fact, I was surprised to hear some very seasoned collectors and experts say that in their experiences they had noticed many of the people from China who are now collecting are in many cases less knowledgeable than the average western collector, and are the ones buying up most of the fakes because they think they are real. Of course some of the most expert collectors also come from China, so it's a mixed bag, like anywhere else. 

My recommendation would be for you to keep posting and keep learning. Not every response will be perfectly said, but I think the folks here mean well and are all rooting for your success. Cheers!  John 

@jrn I have had week to calm and will try to get back to this. But I wanted to thank you for this very in-depth reply and thank you for your knowledge. Like everyone here I’m just trying to learn and live. And I forget without hands on a item it’s just opinions. This week I had items looked at and some that were said to be modern were not and others said to be older were modern. I think more science is needed in this field. I also believe the industry needs to update itself as I believe a large amount of authentic prices are labeled modern when in fact the science tells us differently. I don’t want anyone to have any hard feelings but I’m not sold on quality deciding a piece authenticity as I find anomalies all the time. Or that somehow something was created hundreds of years ago from an imperial workshop and lands itself on a shelf in the middle of a desert. Thanks again Brian

Some of the old school feelings about Japanese wares are now redundant. Revised thinking is now happening. Especially with examples say from the Fukagawa, Koransha and the water mark factories. A number of so-called experts on the gotheborg website have know been proven to be erroneous!

Like Chinese items opinions can and do differ. The same especially applies to Japanese items. Confirmation should be sought from high-end well known dealers or collectors. In order to find a confirmation or uniformed appraisal. Where opinions differ. Further research is required. 

In my opinion @JRN knowledge is one to take note of. There are of course numerous highly knowledgeable dealers who may offer an opinion. However a number of them may refrain from providing free information. Most will only take a quick glance and then provide a thought. Sometimes due to the quickness of the viewing errors or misinformation happens. That's why it's important to take careful notes and to ask selected questions from the source. Sensible questions get sensible answers. 

Thats were you must do your own research from different sources. This includes in part dealers, collectors, auctions, forums, museums and reference material. Collecting is also about learning the difference between periods/other And understanding why! It's the fun part of collecting but it can be time consuming and arduous. 

The above thoughts/opinions are for everyone. This is not directed at anyone. Nor should there be any inference. Just thought I should mention this. I am learning new things everyday. But then I have plenty of time on my hands to study and research. And of course ask my friends here on the forum.

Great bunch of guys and gals here. Almost like an extended family! 

Mark