Maker: This beautiful antique cup and saucer set has a green and red mark with Paulownia flowers and leaves and the phrase "Hand Painted Nippon". This mark - which indicates royal patronage and shows the crest of the Empress of Japan - is number 73 in the Collectors' Encyclopedia of Nippon Porcelain, Second Series, by Joan F. Van Patten.

Age: Use of this mark was discontinued in 1921, making that the latest this set would likely have been produced.

Design: This exceptionally beautiful set is composed of fine thin eggshell porcelain, classically designed and superbly decorated with hand painted waterside scenes at sunset. Vivid cobalt blue highlights its exquisite pink waterlilies. Rich raised gold accents - called moriage - add to the set's impact. 

Condition: The saucer is in excellent condition for its age and fragile material with no marks, nicks, chips, cracks, stains, discoloration, crazing, repairs or significant wear. The cup is in similar condition but has a faint crack in the side; it's shown in the photos with the red arrows. 

Size: The saucer is 5 3/8 inches wide. The cup is 3 7/8 inches wide and 2 inches tall. The set weighs 6.1 ounces.

Please check all the photos very carefully – they are an important part of the description.