Japan Marks - Suzuki & Katabori Koku Animals
鈴木
SUZUKI
 


Picture courtesy of 2ezr.com		    
 
 
 
http://www.waiapo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/suzuki_seal_script_kanji_mark.jpg
 
Well, very recently, I came across a large bisque cat that had an impressed seal script mark and after researching on the mark, I stumbled upon the same mark on a pair of bisque Pekingese dogs - the same dog I had inspected firsthand and featured on this webpage. 

The mark was noted under a wrong name and this is common when it comes to seal script marks. Some people who know and read kanji cannot read and translate seal script. The seal script mark was being mis-read upside-down.  Seal script is a very complex style of writing in kanji because it is artistic in nature yet at its basis is  the thousands of kanji characters. One seal script character can have over a dozen variations with slight uniqueness rendered by the artist-writer. Sometimes those differences can be very complex and not follow the standard methodology of modern kanji writing.  It was a good thing the characters in the mark found on the cat was written in simple style which made the translation from seal script to kanji not so complicated. There is a methodology to translating seal script characters into kanji characters.
 
The bisque unmarked animals and those marked Suzuki are dated to the late Meiji era, possibly late 1800s but I lean more towards early 1900s.  The  JAPAN marked animals are dated to the Taisho era.  Those animals with MADE IN JAPAN date from 1921 and prior to 1945.  I do not believe any of these katabori and koku animals were made after 1945.
 
The large bisque seiza (meditatively poised sitting) cat is featured in the book Figural Japanese Export Ceramics and described as a Hirado kiln creation. I can see how someone would conclude that the incised bisque whitish cat was Hirado made because 1) the material is very whitish creamy porcelain and Mikawachi Hirado porcelain is known for its whitish creme clay feature, and 2) Hirado animals are also known for their detailed incisement.  It is meticulous detailed work to sculpture these animals and to incise each hairline, and the bottom of the animals were incised with paw pads  and sometimes with hairlines - this is characteristics of koku, to engrave or carve lines, and leg formations, lthese are the characteristics of katabori, to sculpture in three dimensional form.

A pair of pekingese dogs were auctioned off at Bonham's in Nov 2008.

The incised animals can be found in two bisque (un-enameled) colors: whitish creamy (almost flawless) porcelain or black on a honey tone pottery-porcelain. 

The animals were sometimes beautifully glazed with patches and these animals were made with a different clay from the bisque animals. The porcelain of these animals is heavier and grainier with a slight greyish tone,  something like Kutani porcelain (sleeping cats) dating around Taisho-early Showa period.
 
Seiza Neko, the meditatively poised sitting cat
 
So far, there are two forms for the seiza cat and two forms for the nemuri cat, and the seiza cats came in an array of sizes - the largest size 13", 8.5", 7", 5.25", 4.75" and 3.5". The large seiza bisque cats are usually found unmarked or with impressed seal script artist-kiln name Suzuki.  The large glazed cats have an impressed JAPAN mark, and the smaller seiza cats are either unmarked or have JAPAN or MADE IN JAPAN. 

 Up until a little while ago, there was only one form of the sleeping cat in curled position, 3.50" x 3" but recently another sleeping cat form was found and shown below measuring 6.25" x 2.50". 

The glazed animals are marked JAPAN and sometimes only with the letter "J" (for JAPAN) due to the uneven surface of the bottom making it impossilbe to incise with the stamp mark.
 
 
SUZUKI GLAZED SEIZA NEKO, impressed JAPAN
 
         
 
13" H, glazed porcelain, impressed JAPAN mark
The largest cat so far made by Suzuki
 
SUZUKI BISQUE SEIZA NEKO, impressed seal script 鈴木 Suzuki
 
 
9.25" H, black enamel on honey toned bisque porcelain, signed impressed mark Suzuki
 
 
SUZUKI BISQUE SEIZA NEKO, unsigned
 
 
   
8.75" L (Base 7.125"L) x 6.25" W x 8.50" H, Weight: 54 oz, bisque porcelain, unsigned
4.75" H x 3.75" L x 2.75" W, Weight 9.8 oz, bisque porcelain, unsigned
         
         
8.75" L (Base 7"L) x 6.25" W x 8.75" H, Weight: 45.6 oz, bisque porcelain, unsigned
 
8.50" H, unsigned except for right cat impressed mark JAPAN
Left cat with black enameling on honey toned bisque porcelain
Center cat is white bisque porcelain and the right cat glazed porcelain
 
 
SUZUKI BISQUE SEIZA NEKO, unsigned
 
 
5.25" H, bisque porcelain, unsigned
 
         
         
     
4.75" H x 3.75" L x 2.75" W, Weight 9.8 oz, bisque porcelain, unsigned
 
 
SUZUKI GLAZED SEIZA NEKO with impressed JAPAN
 

5.25" H , glazed porcelain,
impressed mark JAPAN
 Picture courtesy of 2ezr.com
4.75" H x 3.50" W, glazed porcelain,
impressed mark JAPAN
 Picture courtesy of 2ezr.com

     
     
     
SUZUKI GLAZED SEIZA NEKO with impressed MADE IN JAPAN
 
       
5"-5.50" H, glazed porcelain, impressed mark MADE IN JAPAN
 
 
Nemuri Neko Ne Maki, curled sleeping cat
 
 
 
This nemurineko sleeping cat is a fine example of Japanese katabori style sculpturing in three dimensional carving and incisement.  The bottom of this piece shows details of the hind foot with hairlines and paw pads and the top side, the neko is resting his head on the same hind foot.  The artist also sculptured and carved the other hind foot with paw pads.  There are hairlines on the bottom of neko and the tail is detailed with hairlines too.  The glazing technique on this sculptured carved neko with its high and low points adds to its unique beauty.  The combination of glossy brown and black mixed with white applied to the uneven surface gives unique tone to the enamel decorations and when the neko is held in different angles of light the appearance of the color shades changes from greyish to brownish tones. Truly a remarkable technique of enameling and something to behold firsthand.  I have provided ample pictures taken in different angles to capture the beauty of the enameling technique on this amazing neko.
 
       
     
       
       
       
       
   
3.50" L x 3" W x 1.50" H, glazed porcelain, impressed mark JAPAN
 
 
Nemuri Neko, the sleeping cat
 
6.25" L x 2.50" H, glased porcelain
impressed mark JAPAN
Pictures courtesy of 2ezr.com
 
How exciting to welcome another excellent example of Suzuki incised animals and in a different sleeping cat form with its extended prostrate hind leg, bobtail and paw pads noted on the bottom.
 
   
   
Pictures courtesy of 2ezr.com
 
 
Inu Puppy Dogs
 
 
 
It was by sheer fortune to find these puppy dogs with their wrinkly foreheads, hairy husky
bodies, short curled tails and long floppy ears.  They were made by the same artist-kiln as their neko counterparts.  The Japanese word for dog is inu.  These inu are glazed like the neko and some inu have more brownish tones ranging from tan to deep brown.  They were made in different sizes and so far I have not found any inu in bisque nor have I found any in the larger sizes above 6" but perhaps one day they will show up. They all have the impressed mark JAPAN.  I have tried to find the breed of Japanese inu to match the shape and color of these dogs.  The Akita has ears that stand up and a curled tail.  The Shiba also has ears that stand up and its tail is curled. Definitely not the Japanese Chin, Spitz or Pekingese.  I must have looked at hundreds of dog pictures to match up these pups but still cannot determine their breed.  In any case, they are just as exquisite as the cats.  So far the puppies have been found in three different sizes and with impressed mark JAPAN.  I hope to one day find a puppy in sleeping form.
 
3.50" H, 4.50" H and 5.75" H, glazed porcelain, impressed mark JAPAN
         
3.50" Inu Puppy Dog
 
         
 
4.50" Inu Puppy Dog
 
         
5.75" Inu Puppy Dog
 
         
 
 
 
Pekingese
 
 
 
While I was searching for more bisque cats, I came across this pekingese dog.  At first I was hesitant to purchase this dog because I was not sure if it was by the same artist as the bisque cats.  For days, I studied the dog and how it was made and made some interesting notations on the pekingese, for instance, it was sculptured carved with incised hairlines (same like cats), it was wearing a ruffled bun tie collar (excellent - usually only old okimono figures have this feature), the facial features were sculptured and carved in intricate detail, its paw pads were carved (usually only old okimono figures have this feature too), and the material looked the same as the bisque porcelain cats - so I decided to purchase the pekingese.  Upon arrival, I instantly knew I had a winner - oh yes it was made by the same artist as the bisque cats - another excellent example of incised animals by Suzuki.  I hope to one day find a sleeping pekingese dog.

As noted previously a pair of pekingese dogs sold on Bonhams in Nov 2008 and were signed by the artist in seal script, Suzuki.
 
         
         
         
         
 
5.50" H x 6" L (F-B) x 4" (L-R), bisque porcelain, unsigned
 
 
Usagi Rabbit
 
 
 
I  was on the hunt again for cats and stumbled upon this rabbit by sheer good fortune.  I hestitated in my purchase because I did not know if the artist of the bisque and glazed cats made rabbits.  I am so happy I purchased the rabbit - it is an fine example of katabori incised animals by Suzuki.  The sculpturing of the muscular body, hairlines and glazing is amazing on this rabbit.  Due to its sculptured surface on the bottom, the stamp mark for JAPAN did not impress entirely the country name and only the letter "J" can be seen on the bottom.  Only someone who is familiar with Japan impressed marks would have caught this and made this discovery otherwise it just looks like a creative process error or something.  I hope one day to find another Suzuki rabbit and perhaps in a sleeping form.
 
         
6.50" H, Glazed porcelain, impressed mark J for JAPAN

Note: Due to the sculpturing creating an uneven surface for the impressed stamp mark
to print correctly the whole word JAPAN.
 
 
 
 

 

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