Japan Marks - NPSK Shubei

Japan Marks - NPSK Shubei

NPSK & KATO SHUBEI (加藤周兵衛)
(1852-1903)

(var. Shiubei)

Due to the most recent marks found, I am confirming that the "Shubei" impressed mark sometimes found on NPSK marked/unmarked porcelain ware was made by the Kato Shubei family, famous for their sometsuke porcelain.

I am noting this porcelain ware as "NPSK Shubei" and noting the porcelain ware more specifically as Seto ware - Seto is located a few miles from Nagoya.

The Kato Shubei family comprised two artists:

Kato Shubei I [加藤周兵衛] (1819-1900) who opened a porcelain factory in 1852 along with his son, Shubei II. Shubei I was also known as Hakuundo. He died in 1900.

Kato Shubei II [2代加藤周兵衛] (1848-1903) continued the family business of porcelain manufactory. Based on two resources (www.imari.com) and Jahn Gisela, Shubei II used the name Hakuundo in his trade mark signatures on sometsuke porcelain wares.

According to the General View of Commerce & Industry in the Empire of Japan
printed in 1893 by the Department of Agriculture and Commerce of Japan, the business name for Kato Shiubei is Hakuundo (白雲堂).

On the website www.imari.com, there is noted under Kato Shubei II that he used the impressed mark [周兵] Shubei on sometsuke porcelain wares (see pictures on website).

This is the same impressed mark, [周兵] Shubei, found on NPSK marked/unmarked porcelain ware decorated in Nippon Art Noveau.

I also recently found another unmarked NPSK porcelain ware with only the [周兵] Shubei impressed mark. The bowl did not have the NPSK trade mark.


SIGNATURE IN BLUE HAKUUNDO SHUBEI SEI 白雲堂 - 周兵 - 製 IMPRESSED MARK SHUBEI 周兵	IMPRESSED MARK SHUBEI 周兵	SIGNATURE IN BLUE HAKUUNDO SHUBEI SEI 白雲堂 - 周兵 - 製

I also recently found another sometsuke porcelain ware with two marks: written signature mark, HAKUUNDO SHUBEI SEI 白雲堂周兵製, and with the impressed mark, [周兵] Shubei.

Also I am clariying that the kanji characters [周兵] are read as Shuhei rather than Shubei but when analyzed in context to the artist signature marks, [周兵] is read as Shubei. Therefore I am stating the signature marks [周兵] and the impressed marks [周兵] should be read as Shubei. This is confirmed in the book Meiji Ceramics written by Jahn Gisela, the artist Kato Shubei II inscribed his sometsuke porcelain ware as "HAKUUNDO SHUBEI SEI" and he also read [周兵] as Shubei.

NPSK porcelain ware decorated in Nippon Art Noveau style was made by the Kato Shubei family in Seto, Japan. The trade mark NPSK can sometimes be found with the impressed mark [周兵] Shubei. Sometimes only the impressed mark [周兵] Shubei can be found on this porcelain ware. This porcelain ware was made during the Late Edo to Meiji era from 1852-1903.

The acronym NPSK might stand for NAGOYA PORCELAIN SHUBEI KATO.

NPSK porcelain fancy ware was made in European style forms and decorated in European styles of the Art Noveau period. NPSK is Nippon porcelain ware made for the export trade market.

Also the same porcelain shaped wares (porcelain blanks) were used by Shunko Kato. Shubei Kato and Shunko Kato may be related or obtained their porcelain blanks from the same source porcelain manufacturer in Nagoya.

BACKSTAMPS FOR NPSK SHUBEI

NPSK CROWN QUARTER SHIELD WREATH




NPSK CROWN QUARTER SHIELD WREATH WITH IMPRESSED [周兵] SHUBEI



IMPRESSED [周兵] SHUBEI

You can email Waiapo at

Webmaster@waiapo.com

Disclaimer Notice: This website is soley intended for educational purposes ONLY, and not to be utilized as a means for commercial valuation. This website is under constant revision as new information becomes available that may affect information stated on website, and/or opinions made by the webmaster.

"WARNING: The images & text on this website is

©Copyright.All rights reserved.2003-2011.Waiapo.Hawaii.
Any use of text and/or images is prohibited under U.S. Copyright laws, domestic and foreign, and eBay rules and regulations regarding using text or images from another ebay member and it is considered an infringement upon my copyright."

I do not claim copyright for those images that already bear and hold copyright by their original owner.