Need help identifying a ceramic maker's mark.

[Lucian]

I found this ceramic piece in my yard, and I can't make out what it says. I tried everything in my imaging program, but I still can't figure out what the lettering says. I used a microscope and a hand lens, but all I make out are fracture lines, which shows this is impressed. I want to identify it to see how old it is. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Duer 157099]

1. Have you tried

taking a thin piece of paper (like onion skin or tracing paper) and lightly using the side of a soft pencil to transfer the mark to paper? It might be easier to decipher then.

:shrug:

[Lucian]

2. Yes.

I don't get anything out of it. :(

[Duer 157099]

3. I sympathize. I've had cases like this.

You look at it and you just *know* the mark is intelligible, just not to you, no matter what you do or how you look at it.

It's frustrating.

What is the size of the fragment? A ruler in the image might be helpful. Also, different shots from different angles, with various shadowing. Those are all the tricks I usually try in these situations.

[Lucian]

4. I tried.

I can make out what appears to be the letters "D I O S T" along the left of this image.

It's frustrating and I can't figure it out. :banghead:

[tigereye]

9. that's a really good idea!

[struggle4progress]

5. Get an image manipulation program like Gimp and play around with the contrast and brightness

etc etc

[grasswire]

6. we have some very good experts over in the antiques & collectibles forum

You might want to crosspost over there.

[bluedigger]

7. I can't tell much from your photo.

It appears to be a 19th c. or later whiteware. The maker's mark would be definitive of course. Is there an intact edge to the piece? Any decoration on the reverse - paint/gilding? After it is gently washed and dried, does the body(paste) stick to your tongue?

Here's a report on historic ceramic typologies done for Deldot I found online:http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/ceramic_typology/pdf/research_paper_arch_series_15.pdf

and a link to archaeologyfieldwork.com http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/AFW where experts reside. It's run by a friend and they are happy to help usually.

[Paper Roses]

8. Try holding the pottery base over a candle, a couple if inches away.

The smoke will adhere to the base and fill in the mark. Carefully wipe the base to remove the smoke but not hard enough to clean it out of the mark. Hopefully the carbon in the lettering or design will be more visible.

[tigereye]

10. curious where you live and how old your house is- maybe what the property

was used for in decades or centuries past? Maybe that would give you some clues.


good luck, that's a cool thing to try to work on. I have some pottery that I can tell has a mark, but very difficult to see.