It's beautiful!! Unfortunately I can't help with the mark. The style of the piece indicates early 20th century.
Nippon is just Japan...gives a broad idea of age.....and possible makers.
Have you seen the site below?

Here is a link that might be useful: Scroll down for marks

Oh yes! Gotheborg and I have become very good friends over the last 24hrs, lol. I have seen a couple of marks that seem to have the same characters, but I am completely lost when it comes to reading these characters so I'm scared I am misinterpreting something and don't trust my opinion.

Kinda looks like Chufurutou, but it's really difficult to read. If it is, then it's like "an old winter afternoon". I'm 100% sure of character 2... "furu" (old), about 60% on the third character... "fuyu" (winter, but read "tou" in this case), and only guessing on the first character.

Furutou could also be a name, but I don't think so in this case since it would be a family name and would be written first. Ie. Furutou (firstname) rather than (firstname) Furutou.

After the first three, the last two in the arched text just say "Nihon" (Japan), and the center character is actually 1 character with a superscripted second character. Together it's just saying "ninth month"... "September".

But Chufurutou doesn't indicate any known Japanese potters of an era that that design indicates.
The question is what Japanese pottery used that mark and when Or what glassmaker used an impressed bee in the bottom of a bowl. Much like what European pottery used a crossed sword mark or a crown with an N beneath.
I can tell you that "that's a bee" or that's an R and a V...but what you really want to know is that bee was used by Higbee glassworks of Ohio in the first 20 years of the 20th century and that RV is a mark used by the ohio pottery Rose Ville.

I was responding to the OP - "If anyone can PLEASE help me translate the mark, I would be forever grateful!"

The OP has a much better picture on photobucket that isn't posted here. Scratch one... the center mark is "kyunichi" (ninth day)... not month. Kind of goes along with the pattern too since the 9th day of the 9th month is pretty auspicious and said to be the first day the chrysanthemum bloom.

Thanks for your help! I certainly would love to know what the company that made this was called, but after unsuccessful research, I am happy with any information. I guess I was thinking it might be as simple as identifying the characters as one particular meaning, but it seems there may be more to it. Anyway, thanks again to all of you. I'm slowly but surely piecing this puzzle together!

It most likely dates from after 1891 when things made for export had to be marked with the country of origin....because of the 2 characters indicating "nippon".
The markings on Japanese porcelain were so casual and varied, and there were so many potteries at that time, I don't believe you will ever find out who made that piece. Some pieces were marked with the decorator, some with the potter some with the one who applied the gold and some with the name of the store where it would be sold....and combinations of these marks. Even if the piece had an early Noritake cherry blossom mark you would not know for sure where it was made....because many potteries used that mark or a variation.
Your best ID will be as to style and colors of the piece. I can say roughly the era...late 19th to very early 20th centuries, but a specialist in Nippon ware may be able to give you more info based on the colors used, that chrysanthemum shaped knob at the top and other features. If you are really interested in learning more than an approximate date and made in japan, find a collector or 2 and email them pictures and see what they say.
Whoever made it, it's a beautiful piece.
Linda C

please help to identify mark on porcelain saucer and sugar bowl. Both items have vessel marks and above the vessel written Funakoshi (the letters faded, but you can still read, if to turn to the light).
http://i40.tinypic.com/2z8u42b.jpg

thank you,
sigita

please help to identify mark on porcelain saucer and sugar bowl. Both items have vessel marks and above the vessel written Funakoshi (the letters faded, but you can still read, if to turn to the light).
http://i40.tinypic.com/2z8u42b.jpg
thank you,
sigita