This book features photographs of marks alongside their actual pieces for perspective. Other books simply show line drawings, but this massive encyclopedia educates collectors and researchers on what the marks actually look like on a piece of pottery or porcelain. Over 7,500 photographs of around 4,000 marks and items, from Abingdon to Zsolnay, are featured in this huge publication. Organized alphabetically by company, this book is the most user-friendly marks book you'll find, telling readers quickly what it looks like, when it was made, and who made it. Appraisers and dealers will find this guide extremely useful; they can learn a little bit about many different marks, rather than having to weed through extensive historical information on the thousands of marks produced. As an added feature, cross-referencing indexes are provided, by date, shape, and company. 2004 values.

Information on "origins and development of the Chinese written language" precedes the extensive catalog of marks, including marks in regular kaishu script, marks in zhuanshu seal scripts, symbols used as marks, directory of marks, and list of potters.

Your piece of porcelain may feature an anchor, but how do you know whether it was made at Chelsea or Bow? How can you tell if the mark is genuine? This handy and easy-to-use pocket guide helps you to make sense of a vast, and often confusing, field. With more than 3,000 commonly found marks for all types of pottery and porcelain, and information on the makers, factories, and artists, it is simply the best on-the-spot resource for expert collectors, auctioneers, and novices alike. Line drawings throughout illustrate the different styles and patterns, maps showing the locations of major factories worldwide, and the color photographs of actual pottery and porcelain marks make dating and authenticating pieces even easier.