See also:
Kyoto ware
Kutani ware
Makuzu Kozan ware
Yokohama ware
Wakayama ware

Imperial Satsuma / Gosu Blue Satsuma ware

Assorted/Unidentified Satsuma ware

Assorted/Unidentified Satsuma ware
Museum Examples
Tokyo National Museum

Fuzan / Ryuun Fuzan
冨山 / 龍雲 冨山  / 龍雲 富山 

​RYUUN / Ryuun Fuzan 龍雲 冨山  龍雲 富山 
​Ryuun Fuzan –  Meiji –period 
Ryuun Fuzan, Kyoto based - Meiji period Produced high quality Satsuma 
According to "Japanese Ceramics Dictionary" : “Kawasaki Fuzan: 1875-1922  A potter working in Kyoto with Awata-ware, he enjoyed painting from an early age. However, instead of becoming a painter, he set up a shop and painted ceramics factory in front of Ryo-onji Temple in the blacksmith’s town of Awata to deal in the sales and export of Awata-ware, later expanding to establish a branch in Kobe Sannomiya Matsuya. At the time, it was common practice to divide the manufacture and painting of Awataware into different streams of labor and so Fuzan’s practice involved purchasing base materials from Ogawa Toyoyama and Matano Shozan, painting them in-house and selling them. The painting Kyoto Satsuma used vivid colors to produce graceful images such as peacock peacocks, phoenixes, and warriors that are very popular in the West.”  At Keisei Art, a Japanese antique dealer ( https://www.old-noritakeantique.com/u5100/u5106.html) the following information was found:   Satsuma-yaki porcelain with the name of "Ryuun Fuzan" was exported from Japan to Europe and the United States during the Meiji and Taisho periods, After a long period of time, it has returned from France. The inscription "Ryuun Fuzan" is thought to have been made by Kawasaki Toyama (ca. 1875-1922).  It is said that he also established a branch office in Kobe and was the fourth largest manufacturer of export ceramics after Kinkozan, Yasuda, and Kusube." 
​Note: 富山 can be pronounced as Fuzan and Toyama. Fuzan is the pronunciation used as an artistname, Toyama more as a familyname.  But according to the above information, Kawasati Fuzan/Toyama is thus the same person as Ryuun Fuzan.    

Tanzan 丹山
Tanzan Seikai  丹山青海
Tanzan Rokuro 丹山 六郎
Awata, Kyoto

​TANZAN
丹山
Tanzan Seikai  丹山青海
Tanzan Rokuro 丹山 六郎

Tanzan Seikai, also known as Tanzan Yoshitaro, was born in 1813 in Kumano in the Tango disctrict, which today is the northern Kyoto prefecture. He initially studied medicine, but devoted himself in ceramic art and moved to Kyoto in 1833, where he became a pupil of Nakabayashi Chikuto (1776-1853) and opened a workshop in the Awataguchi district in 1851. His son Tanzan Rikuro or Rokuro (1852-97) was also a gifted ceramics artist and, together with his father, ensured the growth and fame of the Tanzan workshop during the Meiji period. The Tanzan workshop eventually became one of Awata's most celebrated suppliers of pottery. In particular they were famous for their 'pâte-sur- pâte' technique , a method of decoration in which the design is created in relief by applying with a brush several layers of liquid clay to an unfired and unglazed base. After a rough relief has been made in this way, the details are created by carving and scraping off the clay. Only then is the work fired, and the colours applied. It can take weeks to add extra layers and let them harden before the next one is applied. Tanzan Seikai, and later Tanzan Rikuro, played a prominent role in Kyoto and were counted among the most skilled of Japanese ceramists in their time.  

Tanzan Saikei invented a way to use bronze stencils to transfer design drawings to ceramics, which in 1856 led to a large order of thousands of pieces of tableware in western style. The order was made by a number of high-pitched samurai with the intention of transferring them to Edo and exporting them from there to Europe. The project came to an end because of the turbulent period in Kyoto during the last phase of the Edo period. It does indicate that Tanzan was one of the first ceramists to focus on western oriented export ware. He also played a prominent role after the installation of the Meiji government. For example, he was asked by the government to collaborate on the Toki Benkai, an overview of the ceramic production process in Kyoto with coloured illustrations and formulas for glazes.
His son, Tanzan Rokuro was already working in the Tanzan workshop and was asked by the German chemist Gottfried Wagener to study modern production methods in Europe with some other trainees. Among other things, they studied the technique of sludgecasting in Bohemia and the pâte-sur- pâte technique, which was first developed by the French Sevres company in 1850. It would later also be executed with great success by the Tanzan workshop. After their return, the Kangyoryo Seito Shiken Denshujo (Ceramic Laboratory and Training School, Institute for the Encouragement of Industry and Commerce) was founded in Tokyo in 1874. The main purpose of this centre was to teach new techniques of modem ceramic production.
By famous collector Captain F. Brinkley who traveled intensively through Japan in Meiji time, Tanzan's best pieces were praised "as delicate and elaborate as mediaeval illuminations". The work stands out because of an inlay of colour, with softly, dark tinted glazes, in contrast to the brighter glazes used by other ceramic artists from the Awata school.
Tanzan Seikai died in 1887, his son Rikuro died ten years later in 1897, ending the production of the Tanzan workshop. It is not known of the workshop continued the production under management of others.

Note that Tanzan Seikai is called Tanzan Yoshitaro by Captain F. Brinkley (in: “Japan - It’s History Arts and Literature”, Vol. 8). However, he is the only one. Gisela Jahn, Shinya Maezaki and experts from musea and auction houses call him Tanzan Seikai. We therefor assume that Seikai is the correct name.

www.satsuma-database.com/masters-from-edo-meiji-and-taisho-period/24-tanzan

Chin Jukan
寿官 壽官​

Chin Jukan
 寿and 壽 are both Okubuki, 壽 however is a “Jinmeiyō kanji”, a character for use in personal names.

Hododa / Hodota
​保土田

保土田薩摩焼 Hododa Satsuma yaki
Meiji period Satsuma The Hododa signature may also be a traders name established in Yokohama from the late Edo / Meiji period and not just from a studio or pottery. The founder was the former tea trader Takichi Hododa. The quality of the assortment varies from medium to high. Hododa often only appears in the signature, but also in quality products with the name of the decorator.  There is a difference of opinion about the pronunciation of Hododa or Hodota.  However, Hododa and Hodota are both correct, since they both appeared in an advertisment and attached label (both ca 1890) by the bearer of this name.  

Yamaguchi Koetsu
山口
​Tokyo

Yamaguchi Koetsu (1844-1904),
Tokyo. Satsuma ware, Japan.  Maker's mark of 山口 (Yamaguchi).  Yamaguchi Koetsu was an artist/decorator residing in Tokyo.

Kanzan

Kanzan
Marks

Koshida
越田​

Koshida - Meiji period until the 1970s Note: Koshida is rather a company name and not a makers name. Active in the period until 1927, restarted after the war. Producer of moderate to very high quality, in that case the decorator is often also mentioned. Satsumaya was a tradename for Koshida. It is not known when the Koshida company ended their business, but it is mentioned as H. Koshida Satumaya several times in tourist brochures from the 1970s. 

Kusube
​楠部

Kusube 楠部

Gyozan
暁山​

Gyozan
​Gyōzan 暁山 studios, the complete name of the artist is Okada Gyouzan, 岡田暁山. Gyozan also spelled Gyouzan and his studios are very famous and well known for their work with Kiyomizu (old Kyoto) Satsuma. Gyouzan kiln has a history as long as that of Kiyomizu Ceramics (Kyo-yaki).  Kyo-Satsuma refers to Awata-yaki which was created for export by Kinkozan Soubei of Awataguchi, Kyoto during the Meiji era. Kyo-Satsuma received high reputation from abroad at the World Expo in Paris. Patterns outlined in gold, flamboyant, yet elegant designs on an ivory base with crackles are characteristic of Kyo-Satsuma. Gyouzan kiln has its origins in the 17th century. Around the beginning of the 18th century, Gyouzan kiln was listed by the Emperor’s family as one of the five fine kilns of Kyoto. Around 1890, Choubei(an Okada ancestor) moved to Gojo Higasiyama to set up his kiln and shop . At the beginning of the 20th century, the Company began to export the reproductions of Ninsei and Kenzan and original Kyo-Satsuma ware under the name of Gyouzan. After that Gyouzan kiln had orders not only from the USA, but also from European countries. After 1950 Kyo-Satsuma became well-known in many foreign countries. Their works range from decorative jars to tea ceremony ware. Nowadays, Okada Ceramics Corp still uses the traditional method of producing beautiful and elegant enameled handmade earthen ware. (Source: www: Gyouzan.JP) 

Ogurusu
​小栗栖

Ogurusu Tsukuru
​KAWAGURISU 川栗 栖 /  Possible 小栗栖 Ogurusu 

Kinkozan
錦光山​

Kinkozan
Kinkozan was the largest producent of Satsuma ware, in all qualities and styles and decorated by  hunderds of artist. The signatures differs depending from artist and the time they had to produce an item. For simple ware it was stamped or written without care. NB: Kinkozan  pottery was active 1645-1932, the  Kinkozan family has a long tradition from the 17th century. The most important production in the years 1875-1927 was led by Kinkozan V (1868-1927), from early Meiji to Taisho.  Kinkōzan: led by Kinkōzan Sōbei; heavily exported from 1875, especially to America; largest producer of Satsuma export products. Kinkozan signature therefore has a wide variety, including the quality of the work. The last Kinkozan was Kinkozan VIII who for a short time ran the Kinkozan factory, until it was closed in 1932. He was not very succesful.  Kinkozan is a family name, with a number of generations very active in pottery manufacture (mainly Satsuma) in Kyoto up until 1927. The family factory was one of the largest decorators and exporters of Satsuma ware and some of its production, especially some of that from c. 1900 - 1915, was of very high quality indeed. However, it also produced large quantities of average or somewhat better than average quality wares as well. He also experimented  with a coloured ground (monochrome or dichroic) shown in Sandra Andachts Treasury of Satsuma, which she dates from 1885 to 1900.   Note Kinkōzan Sōbei  lV (1824–1884),  was the sixth generation of a family of Kyoto Awataguchi potters with the name Koboyashi. In the 18th century the third Koboyashi was granted by the Shogun to bear the name  Kinkozan. So the line of potters with the name Koboyashi starts two generations before the Kinkozan name was granted to this family. That makes that Kinkozan IV also is known as Kinkozan VI, and his son as Kinkozan VII).

Nikko 
​日光​

Nikko 日光

Rei / Ryo ​
​禮

Rei / Ryo ​禮
​Taisho Period (1912-1926) or Shōwa era (1926–1945)

Shimazu Gyokusen
​玉仙

Shimazu Gyokusen 玉仙

Shozan
​昌山

SHOZAN  正山/ 諸山 ​
祥山 勝山 祥山 尚山 松山 章山 昌山 蕭山 庄山 昇山 匠山 省山 
Okamura Shozan奥村松山1842–1905 As an apprentice at the Hikone domain’s Koto ware workshop, he learned pottery from Kangin Denshichi, and became independent in 1876.  He started making wares at Awataguchi, Kyoto. At first, he used colored glaze to create replicas of ancient Imari and Nonomura Ninsei’s wares, but after Western illustrations were incorporated into Kurita ware, he started making Kyo-Satsuma ware together with the likes of Senkozan. After winning multiple awards at the National Industrial Exhibition, his wares also earned favor in Europe.  
​The name Shozan is very common, in different styles and over time from Meiji until much later, at least Showa-2 period. The signature is very diverse because the sho character is written differently. Nevertheless, most of the work is from Meiji period.  

Soko
​湊光
​Kobe

Soko 湊光 – Kobe based company – Meiji– Showa 2 NB: There are different ways to pronounce 湊 and 光. One way is Minato 湊 Hikari 光, which is occasionally mentioned on the Internet. The other way is Sou湊 Kou光, which is also the pronunciation used by the company. Sōkō China, also known as Kobe Satsuma

Uchida 
​内田

Uchida 内田 - Late 19th century Meiji Period until Showa Period.  Uchida were a merchant and manufacturer and likely branded Satsuma ware made by other factories alongside their own wares.  They were located in Kobe, Japan.

Wake Kitei 
亀亭
​1826‐1902

大日本亀亭製 Dai Nihon, Kitei sei
Wake Kitei IV was a Kyoto ceramicist and his works were exhibited in domestic exhibitions as well as international exhibitions including Philadelphia in 1876, Paris in 1878 and Sydney in 1879. 

American Satsuma

American Satsuma

Izumo ​

Izumo ware (Yokohama ware)

Makuzu Kozan

Makuzu Kozan ware (Yokohama ware)

Kagoshima ware & Ko-Satsuma ware

Kagoshima ware & Ko-Satsuma ware

Hirasa ware / Sarayama ware

A ware which is almost indistinguishable from Satsuma is Hirasa yaki, sometimes called Sarayama yaki, because the kiln was in Sarayama village of Hirasa.  Hirasa ware began by inviting Arita ware potters in the latter half of the 1700s to produce Hizen-style porcelain such as the blue and white and the polychrome enamel using Amakusa kaolinite stone
Museum Examples
Tokyo National Museum
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