These cups have the Imari Japanese character for the name of the old village, and they're not always produced the same by the same manufacturer, even on the same day since their appearance is based on the artist who painted them. None of them say "Nippon" or "Made in Japan" as some of the Imari online do. Varying rules were in place to mark merchandise with the place of manufacture/origin. One was the EU Merchandise Marks Act 1887 which was mainly to guard against mis-labled German goods, but in the USA NIPPON/HAND PAINTED NIPPON ERA and the The McKinley Tariff took effect March 1, 1891, and required that all imported goods be stamped in English with their country of origin. At the time, "NIPPON" was considered to be an acceptable name for Japan, so most Japanese ceramics of this period were backstamped "NIPPON" or "HAND PAINTED NIPPON" often with a company logo as well. However, not all were stamped that way. There were still unmarked pieces, and pieces stamped "JAPAN" as well. NIPPON pieces are priced higher than MADE IN JAPAN. 1921-1941 NORITAKE ART DECO ERA - Many collectors consider the Noritake Art Deco pieces the "Cadillac" of Made in Japan ceramics. They were consistently of better quality and most beautifully decorated, and today they are very avidly collected and are priced accordingly. Noritake Art Deco pieces generally are priced higher than similar Made in Japan pieces. 1921-1941 EARLY MADE IN JAPAN ERA ("GOLDEN AGE") The U.S. Customs Bureau ruled that "Nippon" was no longer an acceptable synonym. As of August 1, 1921 all goods were supposed to be backstamped "Japan" Technically, the Made in Japan Era began when Nippon era ended in 1921, but it really was not that precise. At some point the U.S. Customs Bureau may have required that the words, "MADE IN" be added to the backstamps, but this was not always done. Unmarked pieces sometimes slipped through Customs, but most of the ceramics from 1921 to 1941 are marked either "JAPAN" or "MADE IN JAPAN". In the case of these pieces we're offering the name "Made In" and "Japan" or "Nippon" are all missing. No guarantee of significance - but in the case of these Imari pieces using the old style 1850 - 1899 green and lavender flowers inside of the squares, only the Imari symbol is kilned into the base of each piece. We're not sure when these were made though, and can only provide what we've discovered from our research, and the flowers within the squares are virtually non-existent anywhere but on expensive auction sites for pieces with small photos that don't blow up well. HISTORY OF THE BLACK SHIPS: A bit of History: They were called "Kurofune" or "black ships" (黒船 ) the name given to ships from foreign countries visiting Japan in the 16th and 19th century starting with Portugal that forced japan (or tried to anyway) to open up and trade with the West. Japan strongly rejected this and so for 200 years Japan began self imposed isolationism... until the late 1800's when America sent over 4 gunboats under Mathew Perry and "requested" that Japan begin trade with the west, which is where the term "Gunboat Diplomacy" came from. Some more details on the Black Ship pattern dedicated to the Portuguese traders of the 17th century Meiji period: This was the period the movie Shogun covered and was when the Portuguese monks in orange robes tried to introduce Christianity into Japan and were (according to Michael Crichton's novel, anyway) helping Portugal spy on the Japanese. It was also the time when the Portuguese were attempting to smuggle guns into Japan to empower weaker factions to overcome the stronger feudal warlords and Samurai masters.
MEASUREMENTS APPROXIMATE: 2 1/4" diameter, 3 1/4" tall (R)
WEIGHT: 1.8 lbs
*Please read our "As Is" Policy before you bid. Because most of the items we sell are quite old, assume some or all may need additional work. If the item was tested we will state it in the ad. Compared to the vast variety of merchandise we sell, our knowledge may be limited and we may not be aware of how to properly test the item. To ensure your satisfaction we invite you to email us with any questions and insight before you bid. If you get an item that does not match the description of the item you purchased please contact us before you give us negative feedback through the Ebay system. Please give us a chance to rectify the mistake. Contact us with any concerns before you purchase.
ABOUT GREAT STUFF ANTIQUES.... We are a local Brooksville, FL shop that has been around for quite some time. We specialize in the not-so- ordinary collectibles and antiques, quite a large selection of "yard art" including a lot of decorator iron, concrete yard art & statuary. Some are just too large and costly to list on ebay. Please feel free to contact us if there is an item you just cannot find, as there is a chance we will have it. Long story short, we have items from the 1800's to some new, antique furniture, Cathy's favorite - shabby chic, actual train horns to hornets' nests, even a 6ft metal rooster, or 12 ft flamingo. So as they say, we have quite an array of interesting stuff, and as we unbox it, we will be listing it on ebay. We invite all to check out our GREAT STUFF in small town Brooksville, FL
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