Chinese incense burner

[Stan]

Hi Peter, here is a recent find at the antique store, I believe that it is 18th century, mark is a Yongzheng mark but it looks different from the Yongzheng marks in my books, it looks like it has a worm back foot, there is rust spots but not in the glaze in the porcelain can you tell me if this is a period piece, I will post 12 photo's, thank you for viewing.

[Stan]

Here are more photo's for viewing.

[Stan]

Here are the last set of photo's to view, thanks again for all your help.

[peterp]

First of all, this is not an incense burner but rather a cricket box. It is from the Tongzhi/Guangxu period; look at the red outlined faces and eyes.
I bet the mark was more recently added. Period marks on such items would usually be applied by stamp, and the red color would be lighter. If the market was not added later, it would likely be fake, but it looks clearly like late Qing dynasty.
What you describe is enamel. Enamel marks are always suspicious. Today, you can even buy pens with porcelain color that you can fired at low temperatures. If you use a razor blade or similar, and it comes off, it could mean that it was not even fired. And yes, such Yongzheng marks are suspicious too. There were few seal type characters in that reign, and 18thc century marks were almost invariably in underglaze blue, with few exceptions.

[Stan]

So it sounds like a good fake, the mark is hand painted and it is fired on, I can not remove it with a razor blade, it is on top of the white ground, but there is rust spots in the red enamel mark, would they have used a spurious Zhuanshu mark like this in the Tongzhi/Guangxu period?

[Stan]

Peter here is some macro pictures, if this is a fake then it is top notch fakery.

[peterp]

>there is rust spots in the red enamel mark, would they have used a spurious Zhuanshu mark like this in the Tongzhi/Guangxu period

No, I think the mark was added much later. That you cannot scratch it off only means that it was fired  at a high enough temperature. And what is that with rust spots in the enamel of the mark? How can enamel have rust spots? Rust spots are always in the glaze. If there is something in there, then it was added separately. Again, the mark color is wrong for ANY time in the Qing dynasty. Anyone can write a mark and then refire an item, if he has access to the related tools and a kiln.

[Stan]

Thanks Peter, Im not sure if it is rust spots in the mark, it looks like blisters where the enamel pooled at the ends of the stroke, I think I would like to get one of those pins, with blue.

[Stan]

Hi Peter, the mark on this is an underglazed mark, I did not realize it until I felt it with my finger, it is completely smooth to the touch and when you look at it under light at a sharp angle the mark disappears except portions that have bled through, so it looks like a fake altogether.

[peterp]

> so it looks like a fake altogether

We are not finished yet. Underglaze colors can be fake too. First of all check the bottom glaze too, in this case. If I would add a mark on a finished item, I would paint it on and then cover the whole bottom with a second layer of transparent glaze. Check the edge of the bottom area near the foot rim; does it look natural? Is there a difference in the white hue of the side glaze and the bottom glaze? What about the dark rectangle? What is it? This should not be there on a fired item.
If as a result it still looks as if the mark was there from the beginning, then I'm afraid it is not made in the Qing dynasty. 
I just cannot imagine that someone who is able to fake something to such a degree would put a zhuanshu style Yongzheng mark on it...

[Stan]

Hi Peter, the rectangular mark on the bottom is glue from an old label, I washed it off, the white ground on the bottom is all uniform and has the same white and the same very small bubbles throughout the lid and base, the area where the glaze meets the foot on the bottom looks natural, with out overlapping glaze if it had been reglazed, there is no evidence of reglazing under a 10X loop, there are very small pitting or dimples throughout this piece and on the bottom is the same, I thought of all this already, I to am surprised at the high quality level of fakery and then to use a mark like this, I have seen several Items in the past with high quality and funny marks, I wonder if they do that on purpose so they do not get confused with the real Antique Chinese Porcelain.