Help with signature on Northwest US painted bowl, 1907?

Continuing to stumble across wayyy too much stuff, I am hoping somewhat can help with the signature on the bottom of this bowl. Bowl measures about 7" across & 3" high. Each scene on the sides are different. The typed note was taped to the bottom. I've tried searching variations of the last name that I can think of on the internet. Found with my Mother's 40,007 things. She & my Dad lived in the Pacific NW for about 20 yrs. TIA for any help.

 

This type of painted work, decorating porcelain and pottery at home with low fired enamels and gilt, was a very popular hobby in the early part of the 20thc. and many porcelain makers (Picard/Limoges come to mind) catered to the hobbyists by supplying blanks.

This piece is an re-decorated piece of Japanese Satsuma or Kyoto earthenware.

The work is very often quite charming, however, very few of the artists would be searchable.

 

Hobbyist painted on a Japanese bowl

 

Thank you!

 

Two of the scenes: possibly Mt. Rainier, and Snoqualmie falls. I'm wondering if the signature is an owner or presenter, and not the artist or maker.

 

Thank you!

 

I'll agree on Snoqualmie, but that ain't Rainier - That's Mt Baker.

 

M.S. Durant perhaps?

Debora

 

I think more likely M J, given the way the 2 S's are written.

 

Yes, of course. You're right.

Debora

 

Could be - it is so small in the photo that it is hard to tell. It does appear to have water in the foreground, which might be a hint, unless it is just artist's license.

 

I've been looking through the 1900, 1910 and 1920 Federal Census documents looking for someone in Washington State with the name M J Durant of the right age to have painted this bowl - to no success thus far. Tried JM and Durand instead of Durant because census records are often subject to misspelling or reversing initials, but that didn't really help either.

BTW, I should mention because no one else has commented on it - the interior painting on this bowl was done in Japan with a local scene. The sails on the 2 boats are a dead giveaway. This is why I said above the the bowl was Japanese.

 

Just for my learning purposes, how can you tell it is a Japanese bowl? Thanks.

 

Plus the fact that it's a typical Satsuma bowl too, right?

typical shape, typical pottery body, typical crackle glaze, Japanese sailboats

 

Shape, yes.

 

Agree, the sails are definitely not US style.

 

Those sails looked "off" to me as well, but I know pretty much zippo about most of these things I'm going through. I get some of the well-known stuff she had (and paid a fortune for BTW), like Lalique and Wave Crest, however items like this bowl just make me shrug my shoulders. Thank you all so much for your time and patience in educating me. Going through this process is interesting, but very time consuming when you are a novice.

Until the next post...carry on.