Commenting is deactivated.

Please post all new topics and queries to the
Discussion Forum

Carved Stone Vase

by Wil
(Chicago)

carved Stone Vase

carved Stone Vase

Looking for any information I can find about my stone vase. I some look alikes are made of some sort of chalky stone but this one is not. Please see photos attached. any information would be very helpful.
Thanks

Comments for Carved Stone Vase

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 31, 2014
 Vase
by: Lynn

I also have one of these, but mine has brass on the inside and it has a sticker on the bottom that says "Made in Italy". It also has the letters in the mouth. I'm thinking it is some kind of resin.

Lynn in Oklahoma
Jul 07, 2013
 another one
by: John

Hi all
I have just bought another one from car boot sale and was told the vase was brought back from the east by a relation of the man who sold it to me, he was in the merchant navy in the 50's and that is all I know, but I will keep searching to find out more.

Thanks

John
Jan 28, 2013
 I have something extremely similar
by: David

I don't know if you ever found out exactly what you have there, but I have a vase much like the one shown (different shape though). It has the exact same scroll pattern, the exact same material. And here is the biggie, it also is signed in the mouth of the vase (different lettering).
David
Jan 24, 2013
 Another vase
by: Kitty

Hello. I have a similar looking vase with what looks like Chinese or Japanese characters on it, resembling our F and D. It is 30 centimetres tall with quite intricate carving on the outside of a man and a woman in flowing clothing, he with a beard and carrying a small child. There are different carvings on each side of the vase.

I am having difficulty pasting the image into this comment. Do you have an email address to which I could send some photos? The vase has some carving very similar to one already on your site and, like the other one, seems to tell a story about the couple.

Many thanks, Kitty


It is recommended that you try asianart.com with this. They have forum members knowledgeable in non-porcelain arts and craft.
(admin)
Mar 25, 2012
 Japanese carved vase
by: wendy

I have just bought a vase off carboot sale , 4 sided with 2 japanese people sitting on a branch or somet ing similiar, with a different picture on each 4 sides, it looks like wite chalk and looks too beautiful and intriquite to be a mould, there are no markings or signatures, and there is no line from top to bottom to say it may be moulded, but the carvings look so immacaculate and intricate to be moulded, i saw te above answers about it being lopsided and this one is certainley that, but it has a little chip in top , the reason i bought it is that i thought i saw one on antiques roadshow a few months ago and it immediatly caught my eye, also my son being in japan for a year working, it was a reminder , so i bought it for a mere 50p, quite a bargain, but i would like to know if it is worth more or if anyone can tell me the episode it was on , on the Antiques roadshow, if anyone can help, please let me know.Thankyou.
Mar 07, 2012
 Nothing new yet
by: Wil

This from Wendy late last year
It an early material was invented at end of 1800s (before bakelite ) and is a resin material ..if you heat a pin and press to bottom you will smell this. It is wonderful to see a few more of these cropping up and they all seem to have a little bit of a difference! yours having different markings at mouth! I believe the mouth marks to signify the family house of carver. I have since found they were carved by not only fishermen but scolars and anyone who had much time on their hands! It is a Story vase about 2 lovers and right now i am trying to find out whole story so i will get back at ya! there was a pattern made for this (and others) and the ppl could follow the pattern to make their own... this it why there are slight differences on vase mouth and straightness! hope this helps! I have traced mine to fishermen and the occupation of Japan, but I Love yours so i am gonna do my best to decipher for you!!! and value still holding at about 400 canadian
Mar 05, 2012
 I have 2 almost identical vases
by: Nicky

Hi there,
please can you let me know if you've had any luck finding out about your vase? I have almost identical looking ones with different scenes carved on them - I'm based in Malta!
Thanks
Jan 13, 2012
 still looking for more info
by: Wil

The letters at the mouth of the vase are still a mystery
Jan 12, 2012
 Me too!
by: Brian

I have a very similar vase with a more traditional shape but the same markings carved into the inside of the top of the vase. Have you learned what it is yet?
Jan 01, 2012
 still looking for info might want to sell
by: Wil

I hope to find out more about the markings if anyone has information please let me know
Dec 16, 2011
 Thanks for the info
by: Anonymous

Thank you for the information. Very interesting stuff. I have yet to see any pictures of others like mine. The one I have seen was of a Vase that was made from a chaulky material. My vase weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and cant be scrached by a pocket knife. Hard and heavy. The information you gave on the markings was vary interesting. I am still researching and hope to find more information. Like where it was made and maybe by who. Im thinking the markings might be a name or a date.. ?? Thanks again.
Wil
Dec 15, 2011
 carved vase
by: wendy-jo

Wil.. Sory i cant remember the name of the material bet was invented at end of 1800s (before bakelite ) and is a resin material ..if you heat a pin and press to bottom you will smell this. It is wonderful to see a few more of these cropping up and they all seem to have a little bit of a difference! yours having different markings at mouth! I believe the mouth marks to signify the family house of carver. I have since found they were carved by not only fishermen but scolars and anyone who had much time on their hands! It is a Story vase about 2 lovers and right now i am trying to find out whole story so i will get bac at ya! there was a pattern made for this (and others) and the ppl could follow the pattern to make their own... this it why there are slight dofferences on vase mouth and straightness! hope this helps! I have traced mine to fishermen and the occupation of Japan, but I Love yours so i am gonna do my best to decipher for you!!! and value still holidin at about 400 canadian
Aug 28, 2011
 fisherman from Japan
by: Wil

Thanks for your input.. My vase has no broken areas no chip missing and no liner in the hole. The story of the fisherman was from Japan and I have been trying to find out more but no luck. I really would like ot see the pictures you have to compare the two.
Ccurrently trying to find out waht the lettering at the mouth of the vase means. ? seems like abrick wall.. Thanks again for the input hope to hear more and see the photos you have.
Aug 25, 2011
 carved stone vase
by: ellen

hi wil: i took three pics but can't figure out how to include them. do you have any areas that are damaged? there are a few flower petals etc. in 3 areas that are missing and it looks like they could have broken off when they were made. mine has a thin metal liner in the vase that seems to be coated in white stuff. don't think the letters in the vase contain any numbers...not a 10 but a lD for example. does yours have the background pattern? (almost basket weave look)? where did the person who told the story of the fisherman get your info. was he chinese or japanese? it makes the vase soooo interesting! i just love mine. i want to know more.
Aug 24, 2011
 I have onen too!
by: Anonymous

I have an almost identical one, except mine is darker on the face of the vase, in some areas. I bought it when I lived in the Uk, at a yard sale for about 25 cents that was 30 years ago, and I just liked it back then. I have never seen another one despite looking online. Quite a shock to see one on google images by typing in Chinese carved vase! No letters anywhere to be seen
Aug 23, 2011
 So there is another one out there
by: Wil

I was told this may be one of a few molds used to create the less durable chalky replica vases made in the 50's and 60's. The one I have is hard and heavy and cant be scrached, stone like. Might be a bone resen composite. I hope to find out more.
thanks for yuor input.
Aug 23, 2011
 carved base
by: ellen

I just bought a vase that has flower designs but otherwise identical to the pic including letters on mouth of vase. It is heavy and cannot be scratched. It is more like stone than anything. I will send pics Wed. How was this made. Ellen
Aug 16, 2011
 Stone Vase
by: Wil

Does anyone know anything about this? seem to be running into a brick wall. it's vary hard and chaulky. It is also alittle over a pound in weight. Thanks
Jul 28, 2011
 oriental vase (occupied japan) fisherman carving
by: wendy-jo margaret barager

I did not recieve an answer to my comment but it would appear that what you have is a mold of original vase fron occupation time (japan) the original was carved from a substance that came out around turn of century (1900) and was supposed to resemble whitestone. the original vase will Not crumble! they are not a common vase as this method did not work as you can tell with your vase. I would hang onto this tho because as i say there were not many cast, only a few that i am aware of so valu will prolly go up, the original carving was done by man who spent many years at sea carving the original,and was ahead of his time in thinking of casting this to make money! I would have liked to see more pics, especially of bottom to confirm.oh.. the original carving is not lopsided but looks like it is because he shaved off at bottom to even vase out and as a result the lines are thiner on one side than other and gives appearence of looking lopsided. I hope this has helped you as i have been single minded on this research for around 16years on this vase alone!!
Jul 01, 2011
 Pocket knife scrach
by: Wil

I tried to make a scrach on the bottom with a pocket knife and the knife did not scave it at all. It is hard. I then took a razor and tried to make a scrach but only made a vary faint one. After doing some more research. Could this be the orgional used to make the other softer less durable Vases? Thanks.
Jun 27, 2011
 markings
by: peter

Hi, I would ignore the markings. With this type of material it could have been scratched at anytime by anyone, not necessarily at the time of manufacture.

What I can tell you is that this seems to be a mix of characters, but it is not clear what it is or means. As you can see there seems to be an E and F. The second symbol is illegible, the third has some resemblance to Korean, and the last to Chinese. This makes no sense. In addition, marks are not usually placed on or inside the mouth. They are either on the bottom or somewhere on the circumference.
Jun 27, 2011
 Thanks but what about the numbers/ symbols?
by: Wil

Any idea what the number letters/symbols mean?
Jun 22, 2011
 vase
by: peter

Hello,
I can't help you much with this, but the material can hardly be stone. Try scratching it with a needle, at the bottom...

Given that it is antique, and Chinese, this could only be white, carved lacquer, in my view. With any type of stone such a fine carving is not possible.

However, if you find a vertical line along the middle of the vase, from bottom to top and on both sides, then this means this was poured into a mold. In that case it may be some newer, artificial material, like resin.

Of course, the absence of the line does not mean it was not made in a mould. Often moulded items are manually worked on to make such traces disappear. In my view this is either white, carved lacquer, or an artificial material.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Ask a Question or Contribute - archived 2012.

search by keyword