Korean influence on Japanese porcelain

Q. These Satsuma vases have been in my family for more than 100 years, purchased by my grandfather while in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. The "mirrored" pair is without defect, except for the wearing of the gold. I have enclosed photos. Do these belong in a museum? Is there a market for such items?A. Satsuma is the name of a type of earthenware initially made in various kilns in Chosa, Ryumonji, Tateno and Naeshirogawa, in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. All these places were under the control of the feudal lord of Satsuma.In the late 1590s, Shimazu Yoshihiro - the lord of Satsuma - returned to Japan after fighting a war in Korea. He kidnapped a group of 22 Korean potters and their families, and put them to work in 1601, making ceramics from the white clay found at Naeshirogawa.With strict race laws prohibiting intermarriage, these potters and their families were kept completely separate from the rest of the Japanese population. By the third quarter of the 19th century, there were more than 1,400 of these artisans, and all were engaged in pottery-making.Classically, Satsuma is a light and porous earthenware covered with a cream-colored crackle glaze that offers ivory-brown tones. This glaze is good for enamel decoration, and even the color white looks good against it. All enamel colors adhere to this surface well and sink into the tiny cracks to the point that they seldom flake or peel.Satsuma wares are most often found with floral decorations, but scenic designs were also made. The best Satsuma wares are elaborately and artistically decorated, while the lesser wares show much less care and artistic merit. Some pieces of Satsuma are indeed worthy of a museum, but most found in the United States are more commercial in nature and are not likely to find themselves displayed in institutions devoted to substantial works of art.By the way, kilns in Kyoto, Yokohama, Tokyo and on the island of Awaji later manufactured Satsuma-style wares. This is an important distinction, because many of these made outside the original area are of commercial quality at best and are often considered to be lesser products.These two commercial-quality pieces were designed in all probability for Western consumption. They are late Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1898. The images are typical of late Satsuma ware and feature images (we believe) of Rakan (Buddhists of exceptional merit), Kannon (goddess of mercy) and such.As for the marks, the circle with the plus sign or cross inside that is found on the neck of the vases is the symbol associated with Satsuma. Unfortunately, the mark on the bottom is unreadable (at least by us) and is probably an artist's designation.The fact that these are a pair of Satsuma vases is much in their favor, but still, this type of Satsuma is not as valuable as it once was. Current sales results indicate that this pair should be valued for insurance purposes in the $450 to $600 range.bull;Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.