I recently bought a neighbor's collection of 1940s and 1950s salt and pepper shakers. Included was this one set of "kissing figures that are NOT shakers (no holes). They are a Dutch boy and girl dressed in traditional blue, pink, yellow, and brown outfits bending forward at the waist. They "kiss" when placed facing each other. They are marked MADE IN JAPAN.
These little figural china salt and pepper sets were popular when I was a child in the 1950s. They were sold in dime stores for $0.15 to $0.25 where I lived in the Texas Panhandle. The quality varied, but most were hand painted in a few seconds per figure, and almost all were from Japan. I remember my grandmother displaying a few of these sets in her kitchen window and others in her china cabinet along with hankies and other gifts her grandchildren gave her.
I'm listing more pieces of this collection today as well. #23043
CONDITION: This set is in good used condition but has a repair. The boy's head was broken off at some time in the past and reglued. The repair is difficult to see unless you look closely. I have highlighted this area in the first two pictures and priced taking the repair into account.
SIZE: These figures are about 3 1/8" tall, about 1 3/8" deep (across elbows), and about 1 1/4" wide (front to back of shoes).
WHY BUY FROM WANDERING CREEK? I've been selling online for 27 years and guarantee that the information in my listings is accurate and that I will get your item in the mail very quickly. I accept returns for any reason but do not do partial refunds.