ANTIQUE MUD MAN c. 1890-1919 CHINESE SHEKWAN MUDMAN FIGURINE MAJOLICA POTTERY GLAZED. Stamped China on bottom with backward N. Measures 5? Tall, 3 1/4? Wide. No noticeable damage, no repairs, chips or cracks. Same or next day USPS shipping. Imports into the states had to have the point of origin plainly stamped, so the pottery stamps can actually date the piece. If a mud figure has an indentation or a black or red stamp with "CHINA" (sometimes the "N" is backwards) or "HONG KONG", then it is from c. 1890 - 1919. Mudman figurines have been produced in China for hundreds of years. The most common figurines on the market are from the Victorian era.Mudmen were created to adorn penjing gardens ? miniature landscapes constructed on trays using pruning techniques that would influence bonsai traditions. These charming figurines are easy to recognize, if you know what to look for. Newer Chinese mudmen do not have the same characteristics.Inspect the glaze. Antique Chinese mud man figurines have brightly colored, lead-based glazes called majolica. The most common colors are black, yellow, brown, green and blue. The low-firing technique often produced crackle in the glaze. Newer kinds of mudmen have matte glazes that are very different. Even if they have a crackle in the glaze, the muted colors will tip you off that the figures are not antiques Inspect the face. Most antique figurines have charming faces of wizened old men. The eyes are usually just holes poked into the clay. Nearly all of them have white, flowing beards and bushy eyebrows. The more detailed the features of the face, the better. Pieces made by the most skilled artisans will have more detail and the face will look more lifelike.