Nice Vase, need help identifying marks and origin, thanks!

[anlof]

Hi, I have a pair of vases small about 8" tall. They are porcelain and old. I don't know anything about this type of items and would very much appreciate any help identifying their origin.

Many Thanks!

[Stan]

This is a Satsuma vase bearing the Satsuma crest, I can't make out the maker, it almost looks like Kinkozan, but not sure the marks are illegible, these pictures are not very good but the style of the mark and the decoration I think would put it early 20th century.

[anlof]

I'll try and get some better ones. Thanks for the quick reply and the help Stan! :D

[peterp]

Stan, the mark seems to be "??" (Satsu-zou), dropping the "ma" of "Satsuma". An abbreviation possibly due to lack of space?

[Stan]

Thanks Peter, for reading the characters, I never have seen one signed like that before.

[peterp]

Stan, I was wrong. The abbreviation of character strokes makes the second character look like "zou" (=made). However, upon re-inspection I now think it could also be a slightly simplified version of the character "ma". That would be more logic. So it is likely still Satsuma (??) after all.

[Stan]

Peter, would they have signed something Satsuma?

[peterp]

I have seen marks with the characters for "Satsuma", but I have no way of knowing if those items were authentic.

[Stan]

It just seems strange to me because it has a Satsuma Crest and then the name Satsuma, this is the first time that I have seen the crest and the name, it is usually  the Satsuma Crest, that is the circle with the cross and then the kiln or maker name, its like Imari porcelain, Imari is a port where porcelain was shipped out of Japan and it became known as Imari, but was never signed Imari, Im not sure if that applies here, this is the first time I have seen it.