Yet another guess this chop post

[dpowell]

I know it's a long shot, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I picked up this pot at the GSBF auction last month (along with the maple in it) and I can't figure out who the chop belongs to. I've checked both http://japanesebonsaipots.net/chop-and-signature-resource/ and http://bonsaipotplaza.com/ with no luck. I've also asked a friend who knows some Japanese and she is pretty sure it's Chinese.
Any help would be appreciated.

Danny

 

[Smoke]

Definately Chinese. Check around the marina's?

 

[daygan]

I just sort of crowd-sourced some Chinese opinions - two people said that it looks sort of like an ancient way of writing “鹰”，which in Japanese would be “鷹” incidently closer to the older style Chinese character, or the traditional character currently used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. (Though it does seem to be missing a few strokes) The character, in Japanese, is pronounced "Taka" according to google translate. One person also said that it looked sort of more like the typical book-taught Japanese writing style (before I explained that it might in fact be Japanese and not Chinese).

 

[dpowell]

Thanks for the info. I've been doing some asking around of my own and apparently 鷹 is Chinese for eagle. This is also the character that my coworkers thought it was most similar to.

 

[GastroGnome]

Indeed it is Eagle in Chinese. In Japanese it's "hawk". The kanji can be pronounced "Yo" or "O" or "Taka". I wouldn't off put this as Chinese right off, or possibly at all. #1. This isn't a chop. This was not stamped. It's a signature, made with a nail. Look closely...see the waves of clay up from the strokes? Signed, not stamped. 2. This is RARE for chinese pots, of varying quality, to be signed...and not also stamped with a region or kiln.
Incidentally, those little waves of clay showing indentation and movement through the clay by a nail or similiar are very very important with us high end pottery nerds. Forgers now use machining tools, computerized routers, and perfect images of famous potters work to create forgeries, even on already fired old pots with patina! Those waves in the clay can only be created before firing, and always look organic if created by hand, and not routed.
Ryan
http://japanesebonsaipots.net/

 

[daygan]

... and... a little trivia - while 鹰 (ying) is in fact used for eagle in the Chinese word "laoying" (and admittedly an eagle is the first thing I think of when I see/hear the word), it's actually used as part of many Chinese words to refer to several different varieties of birds, all, I believe, of the "falcon" family - if that is in fact an actual family of birds - for example, what one might directly translate to "Cat-headed 'Ying'(鹰)" is the Chinese word for owl - and that's definitely not an eagle

 

[dpowell]

Thanks again for all the info. I used the wrong word when I said chop, the signature was obviously hand written before the pot was fired. It sounds like I have a lot of information about the origin of the word, but still no idea who made the pot. I'll keep searching.

 

[daygan]

My Chinese friends tell me 鷹 is a common Japanese surname... whereas I've never heard it used as a Chinese surname... you might want to start with the assumption that it's a Japanese artist..