Help with translation

[Prophetcats]

https://ibb.co/rvDJdzw

^link to what needs translation 

 

I was hoping someone would be able to translate this for me.  I can't seem to get any image translators nor draw them into the translators to work.  I would really appreciate any help. 

 

Here's the link to a Pic of it.  It's not letting me insert the image from url for some reason. 

 

https://ibb.co/rvDJdzw

 

Thank you. 

[889]

You need to be posting photos of the whole item. That often provides strong hints and saves time.

 

As here. Does 大清墨制 fit?

[Prophetcats]

You're right I apologize for not including the item in its entirety and so I am doing so now, sorry about that.  

 

It is a approximately 16 in tall bronze Buddha statue numbered 3/20.  It's over 16lbs

[Publius]

大清年製

[889]

That's what common sense says it should be, but I can't find any model for 年 that looks like that.

 

For 墨 though look at second down on the left and assume the top element has been simplified away.

 

 

[Publius]

年 shares the same form with 季. It's not a 土 but a 子 missing the leg. Ditto the bottom 一 in 製, which should look like a wide M. Whoever carved it was really bad at imitating seal script.

[Prophetcats]

Here is the closer up in forum. 

[Prophetcats]

I was wondering if anyone could let me know if you had what this mark says or implies. Can you please share it with me. 

 

Thank you. 

谢谢

[889]

It says made in a year of the Qing Dynasty or arguably made by ?? in the Qing Dynasty. The problem is, the NW character isn't written very well.

[TheBigZaboon]

Personally, I've aways admired Qing Dynasty sculptors mastery of Western conventions like "3/20," rather than the more prosaic and mundane "三/二十" found on many of the trinkets and cultural artifacts prepared for the French and British tourists who destroyed the Summer Palace.

 

Just sayin'...

 

TBZ

[889]

Actually, when things like this are arrayed as part of temple furnishings the position is usually indicated on the base by 右 or 左 with a Chinese numeral.

 

Given the problem with that one character and the use of Arabic numbers, it's quite possible this comes from Japan or elsewhere in Asia. And it's a given that reign marks are not to be taken seriously in most cases.