Can someone read the bottom of this monkey head?

Bought from a collector of Asian, mostly Japanese, ceramics. It's 4" tall, in excellent condition, but I can't read the characters on the bottom. Any ideas?

 

AI reads the more pronounced mark as the following:

 

Some repro vs old info (from ai)

Yes, markings like "Made during the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty" (大清乾隆年製 - Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi) appear incredibly frequently on reproduction pottery and porcelain. In fact, the vast majority of ceramics found on the market today bearing this specific mark are modern decorative reproductions or later historical copies rather than 18th-century originals. [1, 2, 3, 4]
When a reign mark appears on a piece made outside of that actual emperor's rule, it is known as an apocryphal mark. [5]
Why do reproductions have this mark?

• A Tradition of Homage: For centuries, Chinese potters placed the marks of earlier dynasties on their wares as a sign of reverence and respect for the artistic peaks of the past. The Qianlong period (1736–1795) was a golden age for Chinese ceramic mastery, making his mark the most heavily emulated. [1, 2, 5]
• Mass Commercial Export: During the 19th and 20th centuries (particularly the 1950s through the 1980s), Chinese state-run factories produced millions of high-quality porcelain pieces for global export. Most of these decorative vases, bowls, and plates were stamped with red or blue iron-red Qianlong seal marks strictly as a stylistic choice.[6, 7]
• Intentional Forgeries: Because authentic imperial "mark and period" Qianlong pieces fetch immense fortunes at auction houses like Christie's, counterfeiters meticulously replicate the marks to trick buyers. [4, 8]

Common Clues that a Mark is a Modern Reproduction
If you are looking at a piece with this inscription, check the following details to help determine if it is a modern item:
Feature Authentic 18th-Century Original Modern/20th-Century Reproduction
Application Method Meticulously hand-painted with a brush under the glaze. Often rubber-stamped, stenciled, or transfer-printed, showing mechanical pixelation or perfectly identical lines.
Linework & Execution Calligraphy is fluid, balanced, and exhibits highly skilled, artistic brush weight variations. Lines can look stiff, uniform in thickness ("hollow-line" copies), or sloppy.
The Base & Foot Ring The unglazed rim on the bottom is smooth, finely textured ("musky" or like paste), and shows gentle, natural aging. The bottom is often rough, perfectly stark white, or artificially stained with brown liquids to mimic dirt and age.
Companion Markings Authentic pieces rarely paired imperial reign marks with English text. If it says both "Made during the Qianlong Reign..." and has text like "Made in China" or a factory number, it is safely a 20th-century piece.
To help narrow down what you have, tell me:

• Is the mark hand-painted in blue or looks like a stamped red ink square?
• Are there any other markings on the bottom (like "Made in China" or numbers)?
• What does the overall style or color of the pottery look like?

[1] https://www.bluecherryantiques.co.uk
[2] https://www.facebook.com
[3] https://www.facebook.com
[4] https://antiqbot.com
[5] https://www.christies.com
[6] https://www.etsy.com
[7] https://orientalantiques.co.uk
[8] https://antique-marks.com

 

Thank you for the information. One small question, though. The mark on this piece was not colored in any way; it was incised on the bottom and I brushed cinnamon across it to make it able to be photographed. I'm sure it's not an antique, but does the lack of coloring make any difference?

 

If it’s incised that may mean it was produced with a stamp. Perhaps an Asian pottery expert here can help (I’m not)

 

You are right, it isn't Qianlong, but much more recent.
Most pieces marked Qianlong are not of the period, and if they are not refined it is clear they are not actually Qianlong period.
It is good to know that the mark isn't coloured but impressed into the clay.
My guess is that the monkey was made some time in the 20th century. Maybe one of the others has an idea. It would help our searchers if you posted a photo with the marks as they are, so without the cinnamon.