A very dfficult to ID Vietnamese Vase possibly of Japanese origin

[george1968]

Hi group, kindly provide any help, this is very difficult

My parents bought this in 1966, Saigon, Vietnam.
The mark is strange and not easy to read.

next to the Chinese or Japanese ( most possibly ) character there is engraved a Y upside down then a I and then a V. The upside down Y is not a X, it is a Y, don't get misled by the wrinkle in the picture.

I sought assistance in a facebook group and a very kind member gave me a possible alternative, but obviously this can't be with certainty , it could be
三本山
Sanbonzan
三大山
Sandaiyama

meiji period


The pattern of waves I have not seen it in other vases, despite a lot of search. I tried in uploading a photo in Yandex, to get similiar results in vases. I got many results very similar shape vases but similar to mine in pattern and design, no.

The rings are metal, the green dragon porcelain.  Width: 67 cm X base radius 12.5 cm X height 30 cm, weight: 2706 gr.

I do not post in this site often, as my collection is of items I can easily identify in facebook, they are not rare, not wasting your time but now guys I need your help 

thank you in advance for any assistance

[peterp]

Allow me a few observations. I may be the first to look at this. Later some members knowing more about Japanese and European porcelain may answer.

The wave pattern resembles somewhat the cloud pattern appearing in Vietnamese Bleu-de-Hue. That might be the reason it was in Vietnam.Could it be Japanese? Perhaps, but it does not look Japanese. It would have to be made especially for export to a specific place, probably.

The image with the mark appears to be turned 90 degrees clockwise. It is advisable to ignore the blurred blue color. If one turns the mark back 90 degrees and then uses an image editor to change the image to black and white, then increases the contrast, one clearly sees the Roman number XIV with a line on top and below. Meaning Louis XIV or something? With the right adjustment of the contrast it looks also as if right above that number there might be some text in latin letters in handwriting, possibly in the shape of a ship. Just for consideraton...

[Stan]

I can't say that I have seen this pattern on Japanese porcelain, could you post a photo of the bottom at a 45 degree angle Thanks.

[george1968]

Sirs,

many thanks for your feedback.

YES you are right, it is an X. I looked with a lighted magnifying glass at at 45 % angle and I noticed it is not an upside down Y with a wrinkle, it is a curved X.  So we have a vase with latin characters. XIV (14). It was in Vietnam where we know there was French occupancy/influence 1887-1954, and we know in the past the French were using latin numbers. So maybe we can assume it was made in Vietnam but still just an assumption.
Also Saigon ( where it was bought ) was the capital of French Indochina 1887-1902
I did take a picture at 45 degrees angles and I attach. I had to downscale the image to meet the size limits of the forum, if you need a higher image I can upload in a zoho ( similar to dropbox ) or to a dropbox public link but only if an admin asks me and allow me so. I attach also my drawing if it helps.
I followed your advice for the black and white and the contrast, voila, yes it could be a ship, old one, through the waves and the sailing clothes, one left, one right, wide open ( please see attachment )


so should I repost to a different group in this forum ( ie non Chinese or Papanese ) ?

[george1968]

Following the previous message, I attach two of my drawings ( if they help at all ) regarding the bottom mark