japanese vase

[Dominique]

Hi, I found this japanese vase and got problem with the signature...

[Stan]

Im not sure about this one, normally the painting style would have a Hichozan mark in which  is the decoration, the figures are a typical decoration with black which is a trait of Hichozan, the mark dose not look anything like the marks in my book, although in my book there are marks not the same but closer to the marks on this vase and that would be dated 1820, I do not think that this is that old it looks late Meiji to me.

[Dominique]

Thanks for your help Stan I got a problem with this mark, I can't find anything about it...

[peterp]

The mark characters are too small.

[Dominique]

Hope this one is better...

[peterp]

The right part is the maker or kiln, the left probably the craftsman, which would not be essential for identifying the mark. Unfortunately, the middle character is not completely clear. I can only come up with ??? .

[Dominique]

Better?

[peterp]

Hi Dominique,
It is not a matter of the image resolution this time, but of strokes of one of the characters. Sometimes handwriting is difficult to read, because of abbreviated strokes,etc. And, there are characters of which old and current ones are both in use. Here the strokes don't seem to fit the current, modern character, but I cannot find a similar one. It may be just a wrong character stroke... there is just no such manufacturer's name,

[Dominique]

Ok peterp I understand.
Thanks for your help!

[Stan]

I think the vase was unsigned and the mark was added, it should have been a Hichozan Shinpo-sei made in Hizen mark this vase is one of a pair that would have had a reverse painting of the one you have, the one you have is marked on the front of the vase, I think it says right, the other would have said left on the front and the bottom on the left could have been signed.

[Dominique]

Thanks Stan!

[Dominique]

Hi, I have made some modification on the signature...
Just when to know if it is better?

Thanks!