A year mark written horizontally on the foot. On high-footed wares made at the Guan kilns during the Ming dynasty in China, there are some that are titled on the inner rim of the foot or on the outer rim of the foot, all of which are yokosan (horizontal inscription). Some are titled above the mouth or at the waist and belly, which also belong to the horizontal inscription. For example, a blue-and-white flat bowl of the Xuande period (1426-35) with a plain interior and a floral or fruit design on the exterior has the inscription “Made in the year of Daming Xuande” on the outer rim. The horizontal inscription was the most prized. This type of pot was first produced in the Ming dynasty and finally fell into disuse during the Qing dynasty’s Jiaqing period (1796-1820). (Yunryusai sesshu)
