Featured What is considered Nippon porcelain?

Hello Everyone - Mikey's thread on his very nice Nippon collection brought up a question I have been having trouble with. I recently identified a piece on a Facebook board as unmarked Nippon. I believe it was a fairly common bowl with a cobalt rim and hand painted roses. I was gently corrected that Nippon had to be marked Nippon to be considered Nippon. I don't remember seeing that in print anywhere before but it does make sense and I have since found that definition. Yet, in eBay there are over 3500 listings with unmarked Nippon in the title. And I'm sure I have several pieces in my own collection that are Nippon era without being marked Nippon. I prefer to list my own items correctly when selling so I'm just wondering about correct usage. Thank you for whatever guidance you can provide.
Don

 

@916Bulldogs123 ?

 

The pices that are unmarked are Nippon.
Most of the marks are of well known makers ie Morimura Bros. There is no reason not to call your pieces Nippon. Nippon = Japan
Mikey

 

Anything marked Nippon is pre 1921. I believe that was the year when a Tarriff act was passed for country to have their names in exports. The American name for Nippon is Japan

 

You are correct about the 1921 date of demarcation.

 

In the 19th Century there were thousands of Japanese companies exporting porcelain all over the world. To date Over 750 different companies that used the Nippon mark have been identified. A lot or most of these un marked ones didn't use back stamps. Mostly stickers on them that didn't stay on over time. Most of the unmarked pieces I see are usually an export to a country other than the USA.

 

The Mc Kinley Tarriff act of 1891, forced importers to use english letters. That is when you seee the word NIPPON being used on Jap imports. Then U.S. Customs in 1921 for whatever reason maybe because Japan was flooding the market decided that not only were the letters to be in english but the name of the exporting country into USA must use english version of the word. Nippon being Japan. It then must read Made in Japan.

This created a special period, when Japan was fiercely competing internationally with English and continental porcelain makers. Japan was producing some very fine porcelain that directly competed with fine porcalin from england and the continent.

Japan had lower wages and their porcelain was of a very high standard but at a very affordable price.

So Nippon has a special meaning, it is guaranteed to be from the specific period in time, and is usually of good quality. In many cases Japan influenced many of the creative art and design.

This was not the first time Japan influenced the west, Japan has always been a huge spource of inspiration and influence in Art. Since the 18th century when Messien copied the Japanese Edo period Kakiemon design. Japanese Laquer and ceramics had exerted a great influence on western taste, Laquer had a huge effect on english and french furniture makers, and Japan was also influenced by western art.

Nippon was a period when Japan was very comeptitive and their ceramics were of very good quality.

 

In fact I had not read your question properly. The Nippon appreciation or devotion is very much an American hobby, as Nippon is unique to America due to the Mckinley and Customs rule 1891 -1921 creating the Nippon era which is unique to USA>

In uk for example and europe Japan was also importing and was also greatly influential and appreciated. In 1867 at the Paris internationl exhibition/exposition Japan won huge acclaim for it's beautiful Satsuma. Noritake for example would not be considered Nippon in the UK, tehy are simply Noritake from Japan, while the foudner of Nortiake the mourmiar brothers do require mention as they are the quentiessential Nippon in USA. However many Nortiake in the Uk make in and around 1908 - 1921 are not considered Nippon and are not reffered to as Nippon and do not bear the Nipppon mark, despite being made by the some of the greatest nippon producers in the USA. ( however this is just my perspective)

Many Meiji era porcelain from Japan still has Dai Nihon ( Great Japan) 大　日本
or most of the time simply 大　日本 which is Dai Nihon ( Great nippon)

In the Uk noritake maybe in reaction the the McKinely tarrif registered their own trade mark in the UK in 1908. It had the Maruki mark ( also known as the Komaru mark) with Made in Japan underneath. These ware are the same ware that in the USA would have had previously been Nippon marked.

So the same ware can be found in europe with different backmarks than that to the USA which all had the Nippon mark. Nippon is very much a Usa-Japan 1891 -1921 unique period that is not relevant to the rest of the world where Japan would have used more traditional backmarks if any such as the Nihon mark 大日本 above.

 

Thank you very much for that explanation. It is much appreciated and is very much in line with what I was thinking. I have several pieces of very lovely porcelain that I believe are clearly Nippon but the US definition would not let me call them Nippon as they are unmarked. Thanks to all who responded.