Japanese Peacock Plates - help with mark

These just came in and I'm trying to decode the mark. I haven't found the mark on Gotheborg, but may have missed it. Does anyone know what the mark says? Thanks! Dave

 

The bottom mark 造 is the Chinese character Zào that translates to "Make." I would think this plate is Chinese rather than Japanese unless Japan uses the same character???

On the following page scroll a good 3/4ths of the way down to the section "Zhongguo Zhi Zao, 中国制造 China Made (old style, from right to left)." Look at the bottom left character on #s 697, 101, 411, 503, 267.

--- Susan

 

Ooops, I now see that the Zao character is used in some the of the Japanese porcelain marks.

Scroll down about 1/3th of the way to the section "Dai Nippon (Great Japan) hand drawn marks (Meiji period 1868-1912)." Look at #s 1039 & 701:
http://www.gotheborg.com/marks/20thcenturyjapan.shtml

and in such manufactures markings a "Matsumura." Look at #982 & 1140. Instead of Zao they are calling it "Zo."

--- Susan

 

Thanks Susan!

 

The maker is "Watayasu", the plates are from Taisho period.

 

Thank you Mat - great info!