NIPPON SIX JAPANESE VINTAGE PORCELAIN CUPS AND SAUCERS

This Delicate & Petite Porcelain Set of 6 Cups & Saucers was made in Japan during the later part of the Nippon Period. Although not marked “Nippon”, we do believe the set to be Nippon. These adorable petite cups & saucers have a sweet shape and are hand painted with petite pink roses with a green band on both the cups and saucers accentuated with gold gilded edges and internal gold gilded design as well as having the cup handles gilded.

COMMENT: A large percentage of porcelain made during the Nippon Period was not marked Nippon due to the fact that some of its production was executed by Japanese warehouses or factories in the United States. Consequently some of the blanks were only stamped “Made in Japan”.

CONDITION: 5 cups & 5 saucers are in great condition except for one cup & saucer. One cup has a hairline crack and its matching saucer has a tiny chip to its edge (as is illustrated in the photo). 2 other saucers have very tiny or minute “flea bites” on back rim. Overall condition is very good.

NIPPON PERIOD POTTERY & PORCELAIN

The Nippon period started in 1865; this period was known as the Royal Nippon Period This period exhibited itself by use of deep rich dark cobalt blues, vibrant oranges, and intense yellows accentuated by extravagant use of lavish gold gilding upon pronounced porcelain forms and unique shapes. Most of the Early Royal Nippon porcelain did not carry manufacture marks. During the Meiji Period (1868-1912) much of the Nippon porcelain was decorated with gold.

As we approach the latter part of the Nippon period after (1912-1921), known as Late Nippon Period they become more conservative in use of gold and dark deep ground colors became less exuberant and the whiteness more revealing. Consequently pieces had less bold decorating and had more delicate and finer hand painted details to compensate for over use of larger floral and liberal use of embellished gold.

As we approach the early 1920s the decline of quality is evident. After all, W.W. I had wreaked havoc upon the world and many of the renowned porcelain factories took the brunt. Many factories were bombed; what factories remained either had to cut back on production, lay off painters and workers or cease production which led to their demise or succumbing to larger wealthier factories.