Question; Chinese, Japanese, ??? Spice Jar

rlmstamps · Feb 15, 2016, 04:21:21

This spice jar I remember as always being on my grandparents buffet. My parents would always say
that they never bought anything, they just had a lot of hand me downs. I guess that could be a good thing. I always liked the color contrast. I would like to find out about its age and origin.

Stan · Feb 15, 2016, 08:47:41

This is Japanese, possibly Awaji, I would need to see the bottom of the jar.

rlmstamps · Feb 15, 2016, 09:06:18

Hi Stan
Here is a photo of the bottom, and one other . I do not see any marks on the bottom. The only visible marks seem to be on the top and on the other two pieces.
Thanks for all of your help!!

Stan · Feb 15, 2016, 11:08:35

Hi Rimstamp, this looks like it could be satsuma, I have a couple of questions for you, is it earthenware, dose it have a high ring tone or a low ring tone when you click it with your finger, if it has a low ring tone it is earthenware a high ring tone would be porcelain also on the bottom lids, is the color white or ivory white, if it is ivory white and low ring tone it would be satsuma and would date to the late Meiji.

rlmstamps · Feb 16, 2016, 01:17:24

Not being familiar with tones at all, I would have to guess it is a low tone.
I am certain that is ivory white.

Stan · Feb 16, 2016, 01:58:07

If you set your Jar on a cloth/ towel, you will get a better sound, take something that you know is porcelain and set it on the towel, and click it, it should ring almost like a bell, make sure it is a vase, not a plate, the ivory white and the small crackle in indigenous to satsuma, the marks on the side of ugh lid indicate right or left, they may have been a pair at one time, also the marks sometimes were used to line up with a decoration from the lid to the jar.

rlmstamps · Feb 16, 2016, 04:02:36

I did do the side by side test. I heard the bell sound on what I know is porcelain.
I did not hear that at all on the spice jar. It sounded much lower in tone.

Stan · Feb 16, 2016, 04:07:41

Yea, it sounds more like a thunk, than a ring, nice jar, it is harder to find these with the lids.

rlmstamps · Feb 16, 2016, 05:28:20

Thanks again for all of your help. This jar has always been one of my favorites!