I have an old dish with a mountain on the back with oriental writing underneath. Any ideas as to the maker?

Answer 1

Hi! Here are a number of resources and oriental marks to help you. Also, if you are are near a museum that houses Oriental art, perhaps you can make an appointment with one of their experts, or a local gallery that deals in Asian art.
http://www.gotheborg.com/
http://www.gotheborg.com/marks/index-china-marks.htm
Quick answer e-mail consultation - $15 per item
http://www.gotheborg.com/
http://www.art-antiques.ch/resource/marks.html
http://reviews.ebay.com/Buying-Asian-Porcelain-on-Ebay_W0QQugidZ10000000002149301
http://www.randdorientalart.com/porcelain.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/
http://www.metmuseum.org/education/index.asp

Answer 2

There are millions of dishes exported from China and Japan with oriental writing on them. Mass production. If if doesn't have 'made in China' or 'Japan' on it then it's likely to be pre-McKinley tariff, which was about 1890, but 99.9999% of all oriental dishes in the West are not identifiable. An auctioneer who deals in ceramics should have a look at it as there are a few definitely known factories with recognisable marks.