16.99Norcrest 3-Toed Porcelain
Creamer Pink Roses Blue & Purple Flowers Japan
For consideration is this
vintage individual sized porcelain creamer made for Norcrest China Company in
Japan. (Individual sized meaning for one person versus a larger sized creamer
that would be passed around the table.) The pattern features pink roses and
purple and blue flowers on a white background. The body is ribbed and it is
3-toed, which some call a “tripod”. The mouth, feet and handle are nicely
decorated with gold accents.
This creamer measures 3½
inches tall, the mouth measures 1¾ inches in diameter, 3¼ inches from spout to
handle and the body measures 2½ inches in diameter. The base is printed in gold
ink “Norcrest Fine China” and there is a black and silver foil sticker which
reads “Made In Japan”. There are no nicks, chips, cracks, repairs, scratches,
discoloration or crazing noted. The inside of the creamer photo looks funny as
if there are dark spots but that is due to the area where the 3 legs are
located is concave showing sunken circles. Buyer will receive FREE shipping. Thank you for looking!
NOTE: Norcrest China Company began as a small
curio/gift shop owned by Japanese immigrant businessman Hide Naito. Located in
downtown Portland, Oregon, H. Naito Gifts opened its doors in 1921. It sold
Japanese-imported porcelain décor and other tchotchkes. After leaving the area
to avoid internment camps during World War II, the Naito family settled in Salt
Lake City, Utah, for a time before returning to their hometown. Though their
business had collapsed during the war, Naito was determined to build it again.
H. Naito Gifts reopened in
the late 1940s, specializing in Asian “Made in Occupied Japan” gifts. Naito
received pieces specifically made for his business. Norcrest’s playful designs
and colorful palette fit well into America’s post-war trends. In 1955, the
company was renamed Northwest Trading Co., and then incorporated three years
later as the Norcrest China Company. Now specializing in whimsical and
realistic ceramic collectibles of animals, elves, ballerinas, etc., Norcrest
merchandise was sold in Woolworths drug stores and specialty stores nationwide.
Norcrest quickly became one
of the renowned decorative ceramic companies, along with Napco and Lefton.
Average American homemakers depended on these china brands to decorate their
homes. The ceramic figurine heyday was dying out by the 1970s and 1980s and
although the company closed in 2004, it remains a favorite of mid-century
pottery collectors.