(4) Marks of dedication, felicitation, etc.
In many cases the place of a date mark, hall mark, or potter's name is taken by a word or phrase commending or describing the ware or invoking a benediction on the possessor. Such marks may be conveniently subdivided into marks of (a) dedication, (b) felicitation, (c) commendation; to which may be added (d) symbols used as marks.
(a) Marks of dedication indicating the destination or intention of the ware contain the name of a place or person or some word suggesting the use to which the vessel was dedicated. This group naturally overlaps that of the hall marks, there being no essential difference between a palace hall mark and such a mark as Shu fu
(Imperial palace) which was inscribed on the Imperial porcelain of the Yüan dynasty.
A few marks of dedication are mentioned in the Po wu yao lan[456] e.g.
t´an (altar) on the altar cups of the Hsüan Tê period;
