Nipoon Vase confirmation help.

I have seen this shape or very similar with a Nippon mark. The decoration screams Nippon to me but the mark as been obliterated. 9" tall and 6 1/2" wide. Would like to know if others agree this is Nippon?

I remember a discussion on the ebay board about obliterated marks. Some suggested it was done to German and Japanese pottery by dealers because of the war and the atrocities and dealers felt they had a better chance of selling the pieces if there were no marks linking a piece to those countries. I think any knowledgeable collector would know it with or without a mark, what do you think? Thank you.

 

Some good Nippon advise from Real or Repo:

Marks and patterns are no longer the reliable tests of age they once were. As fake marks become better and more original patterns are copied, buyers will need other ways to judge age and authenticity. Here are some of the ways to guard against buying reproduction Nippon.

1. Check the glaze. The high gloss glaze on most, but not all, new pieces is noticeably rougher and not as smooth as originals. Also inspect the insides of pieces. Many new pieces are not entirely glazed on the inside; originals, of course, are completely glazed.

2. Compare the thickness. Most new pieces are thicker than old, sometimes twice or more as thick.

3. Test the weight. New pieces are generally much heavier than old. This is due to not only their thicker construction but a difference in the raw materials.

4. Look at the gold trim. New gold is generally one of two types: A) a copper-colored gold that usually has lots of bumps and loose particles, or B), a brassy yellow gold with a highly reflective almost mirror-like finish. Original gold never has loose debris suspended in it and is virtually never highly reflective. If you see your reflection in the gold, it is almost certainly new.

5. Don't rely on one test. Never base your decision of age on one test alone. Use several cross checks. Most reproductions fail several tests once you begin to look.

 

Thanks feather. I should have been more specific. I know for sure this is old and not a repro. I inherited this years ago so I know where it came from and how long they had it. I just wanted confirmation that it was Nippon.

 

I would vote for Nippon due to the decoration, colors, and shape. If I found it on a shelf at an antique mall for $20 or so I would snap it up and believe I had gotten a good buy on a Nippon vase. Still it's JMHO.
Don

 

Thank you Don. I think I may have narrowed this down.

I'm thinking it isn't an obliterated mark after all. I found these vases online. Same vase (blank), different decorations. Two are marked with the Maple leaf mark and those have the rubbed center. The last two, have the rubbed center but no maple leaf mark.

That center rub could just be from the process of making the blanks.
The vases without the mark, like mine, may have been made before the McKinley Tarrif act required the country of origin marks.


Same vase with a maple leaf mark and the same rubbed center area:
http://nashadacha.net/nippon-vase-78.html

This one also has a faded maple leaf mark and the rubbed center.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-NIP...MANTIC-ROSES-HANDLE-VASE-9-1-4H-/360943589404



Same vase no mark with the rubbed center.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-U...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Moriage Vase, no mark rubbed center

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-NIP...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

I would agree based on coloring and style that this would be Nippon, although that is just my humble opinion. I can't say for sure --