Look closer. Follow the clues.

1. Capture the mark in context.

Take a full-object photo, a view of the entire base, and a close-up of the mark. The wider base view keeps the lettering connected to the shape of the foot, exposed clay, and surrounding labels. Use indirect light, focus carefully, and take a second angle if reflections hide a character.

Copy only what you can read. Keep line breaks and punctuation; use a question mark for an uncertain character. Record whether the mark appears painted, printed, cut into the surface, or pressed into the clay. Describe the technique without assuming what it means.

• Measure height and width with units.
• Note the visible clay color, glaze, decoration, and construction.
• Record any chips, repairs, wear, or labels separately.
• Write where and when you acquired it. The place of purchase is not automatically the place of manufacture.

2. Compare reference records, not just symbols.

The V&A’s ceramics guide explains that even well-known marks were copied and that some marks have uncertain meanings. A symbol alone cannot settle an attribution. Read the V&A’s A–Z of ceramics.

Search the clearest lettering first, then compare the proposed match with the object’s shape, material, dimensions, decoration, and mark placement. Open the source record instead of relying on an image-search thumbnail. A useful comparison includes a named institution, artist archive, catalog reference, or documented object record.

Keep evidence that contradicts your idea too. Different lettering, a different foot shape, or a mismatch in decoration is useful information. Do not remove it just because another feature looks similar.

3. Keep an evidence trail you can revisit.

For each possible identification, write the claim, source title or URL, date consulted, and the specific matching features. Record what differs and what remains unreadable. That lets you improve the identification later without repeating every search.

4. Leave room for “not identified yet.”

If the mark is missing or unreadable, use an honest descriptive name such as “Blue glazed bowl with impressed base mark.” Keep the material or maker uncertain when you cannot support it. Photo suggestions and online comparisons help organize research; they do not establish authenticity, age, or monetary value.

When you ask a specialist or collector group for help, send the whole-object view, base view, mark close-up, dimensions, and one focused question. A compact evidence record makes it easier for someone to explain why a proposed match does or does not fit.