Pounce or Pepper Pot? Chinese or Not?

[GregHodgson1]

I love this object. I purchased it described as a Chine Pounce Pot although I have my doubts. Firstly English or European ones appear much larger - this is 5 cms wide and 4.2 cms high. Secondly, I have not managed to identify any of the marks, and I have been searching for some time. It does does not fit with Chinese marks I have researched. I have also looked at Japan, Burma, Vietnam, and surrounding areas but to no avail. I know I am in the right geographic area due to the decoration on the piece that would suggests Far East as a minimum. Hence the post here.



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Manufacture: It has a screw top which has a smooth action and appears to be machine made. The fit being very good.



This piece does not appear to have a vertical join. It could have been made of a lower and possibly middle and top sections. The lower part of the object has small, raised dots which fit in the hand nicely and provide a good grip if you were dusting your writing with powdered cuttlefish bone. These have been beaten from the inside as you can feel the interior walls and with a good light can see them.



The decoration on the object includes both Bamboo - which I think is particularly well modelled and a (slightly plump) Oriole bird. One of the Chinese meanings for this bird is friendship which I would like to think indicates it is a pounce pot - used to dry ink on paper perhaps when you are writing to friends. Both the bamboo and bird appear to have been overlaid as there is no indication on the interior to suggest otherwise which feels smooth. Additionally, the bamboo decoratively falls over possibly three of the pieces of its construction.





The marks on the underside are the main focus here. There are three consisting of what appears to be two with language/initial markings and of 6 raised dots in a square. I am unsure as to which way they should be oriented.





So Pounce or Pepper and where from? I hope some light can be shined on this object. Thanks as always.

Note. I was checking my posts and this from July 2017 had lost its pictures. I am not sure when this happened so am reposting with photos.