Can anyone read this mark?

[peterp]

The characters inside the mouth of the Satsuma jars, above the circles are left and right, respectively (left=左. right=右). Most likely for the positioning of the jars. They are reversed in the photo.
The name in the vases beside the mark could again be the same name. The first character has the stroke order a bit wrong, possibly due the handwriting. The second character is the old character for "ten", thus the name might again be "left fifteen".

I will try to find out more.

[Stan]

Thanks Peter, I will be very interested to know if it is a name, the first pair of vases are Nishida, made in Kyoto, it will be interesting to find out exactly what the characters mean inside the lids, thanks for all your help, and you to Kaaren for letting me hijack your discussion posts.

[Kaaren B.]

No need to apologize for "hijacking". I now own the bowl and am also curious as to what the marks mean.

And, this is way those of us who frequent this site learn. If we knew what you two know, we wouldn't need to ask. :)

[Stan]

Hi Peter, this is a recent purchase, I am still doing research on it, On a guess, I would say it is from the 2nd quarter of the 20th century, but while we were discussing alignment marks I checked this one to see, and sure enough here are two lines in the lid and base, and when you line them up the decoration on the lid and jar line up perfectly as do 0there's, this would be to much of a coincidence, the pair of Satsuma vases with the Foo dog lids, the mark on the inside pair of vases, if you notice the decoration are reverse painted and the marks are exactly positioned in the same place to line up the fact that they are reverse paintings, this can not be coincidence, therefor I think the positioning of marks on lids and base were added to line up the decoration, I am more convinced now than ever that that is true, but not all the time I also have examples that have no alignment marks at all so that must be a Meiji and later tradition until proven to  be in the Edo period, not sure at this point. BTW. Peter can you read the bottom marks, I can not find them in my books on marks. Thank you for your help.

[Stan]

Hi Kaaren, I would like to add that you got a great deal for $30.00 even with a repaired lid it is still a good example and very collectable.

[Kaaren B.]

Thank you! I am very pleased to have a Kinkozan in my little collection, and might not if it hadn't been for this site, as $45 is not an small sum for a retired lady on a modest income. I do know the clerk, but asking for a reduction of $15 is a lot to ask for, and if it weren't for the damaged lid, I doubt she'd have gone down more than $5.

So I'm very happy to have it, and for all the things I learn on this site. K.