Featured 5" Porcelain "Ewer" - handpainted Japan or Europe?

This is another of the church sale purchases that I showed on the Finds thread. For my enjoyment and not to resell. I say "ewer" because I can't think a better description of the shape. I say "porcelain" because the bottom (which is not painted, but is glazed) is translucent when held up to a light.)

The painting itself seems to be under-glaze and the scene (ducks? geese?) is nicely done and goes completely around the piece. There is a faint blue, partial mark on the bottom, parts of which remind me of some early Japanese marks I've seen here. But there is too little left to try to ID it on gotheburg. As I said, the center of the bottom is glazed, but the edge is dry and a bit rough, like bisque? The remnants of an old paper label were not from the recent sale.

There are some places on the body where the blank is not completely smooth, but they're small and hard to capture with the camera.

Has anyone seen another similar motif anywhere? Am I on the right track thinking it's from Japan? Early 1900's? Or do you think it's European? Does anyone think this might actually be hobbyist painted?

BTW, it was only 75 cents!

 

I think this is the Japanese "Maple Leaf" mark. I can almost make out the "Nippon" under the leaf.
The old Maple Leaf mark is 1/4" wide and the newer one is 1/2" wide.
Hope this helps.
Edit to add...if I am right about the mark, the lettering to the right would say Hand Painted.

 

Maple leaf! That's what I couldn't get my brain to describe! Thank you, Sandra!

 

Nice score for 75 cents. Enjoy it with your jadeite eggcup/toothpick/cigarette urn whatever it is, you had a great day at that sale.

 

I DID!

I was just over on gotheborg and didn't see anything he called "Maple Leaf." Closest I could find was a pale blue "cherry blossom" from c. 1924, but even that was tough to align with what little there is on this piece. Is there another place to see Japanese marks from that period?

 

I googled "Japan Maple Leaf mark" First entry up for me was "New porcelain marked Nippon, real or reproduction. Scroll to bottom of page and all the marks are there. Good Luck!

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

 

Bingo! Plus, when I realized what site it was on I pulled out my copy of Guide to Fake and Forged Marks, not 6 feet from my desk - and there it is!.

 

Great find. I had one with a maple leaf many years ago.

 

Ha!!! Look out for - is it Rayo? - with those geese!!!!!!!

 

It's Rayo who has ducks, but not geese. I started out assuming they were ducks, so that what the picture titles say in my picture library. But looking at them longer makes me think they might be geese.

 

Regardless of whether they are ducks or geese it's an unusual decoration to find on a piece of Nippon. Very nice find!
Don

 

I love it! Had to reach over another shopper to snag it, apologized, of course. Their selection of "smalls" is mostly made up of junk nobody wants, so this really stood out! I was actually surprised the "sorters" hadn't put it in the "boutique."

 

Perhaps one duck, one goose... But ewer spot on with the nomenclature of the shape.

 

Thanks so much for checking in, Silver!!!!

 

LOL, Susan! I love to pitcher you smiling.