How old are items marked Made in Japan?
no significance in color of the text as to age. Pre-1921 items were not marked "Made in Japan". Most were marked "Japan". After 1921 a lot of countries marked them either "Japan" or "Nippon". From 1947 to current pieces are marked "Made in Japan"
What does it mean when a piece is marked Japan?
or "Japan". Japan" pieces. After 1952, pieces from Japan were either marked "Japan" or "Made in Japan". The best way to tell age is merely by looking and feeling the piece in question.
Does the color of Japanese ceramics help date a mark?
According to experts on 19th- and 20th-century Japanese ceramics, the color does not help date a mark. Red, green and black were used most years. There is no explanation for when other colors were used.
How can you tell if something is made in Japan?
a little different either in color, size, or shape. There seems to be no significance in color of the text as to age. Pre-1921 items were not marked "Made in Japan". Most were marked "Japan". After 1921 a lot of countries marked them either "Japan" or "Nippon".
Are items marked Japan valuable?
These pieces usually were marked “Made in Occupied Japan,” “Made in Japan” or simply “Japan.” The products--including souvenirs, lamps, dinnerware and toys--eventually became collectible. From what we've seen in dealer catalogues, however, their value is relatively low, with few items approaching the $50 level.
What's the difference between made in Japan and made in occupied Japan?
Not all products made in Japan between 1946 and April 1952 are marked "Made in Occupied Japan" or "Occupied Japan." Some pieces simply were marked "Japan" or "Made in Japan." However, collectors of Occupied Japan material insist that "Occupied" be found in the mark for an item to be considered a true Occupied Japan ...
How old is something marked Made in Occupied Japan?
Any pottery that is stamped with “Made in Occupied Japan” and can be authenticated to have been manufactured between the summer of 1945 and spring of 1952. Items include ashtrays, planters, and other knickknacks.
How do you identify Japanese pottery marks?
Signatures are usually followed by a suffix, for example Sei, tsukuru or saku all meaning "made", or Ga, Dzu or Fude meaning "painted" or "drawn". Then there are place names, Satsuma, Kutani, Seto etc. To read these requires references such as a good Japanese/English dictionary such as Nelsons.
How can you tell if something was Made in occupied Japan?
The writers at Our Pastimes note that you can identify items made in occupied Japan by examining them for the stamp. For the majority of objects, this stamp will be on the bottom. For example, occupied Japan plates would have the stamp on the part that sits on the table.
Is porcelain from occupied Japan valuable?
Dramatic price increases for Occupied Japan collectibles are not expected by most experts. The majority of ceramic items are valued between $6 and $100, and are expected to remain so.
What figurines are worth money?
Which Antique Figurines Are Worth the Most Money?Early Meissen Figurines. ... Large Capodimonte Pieces. ... Dresden Lace Figurines. ... Rare Sevres Figurines. ... Figurines by Royal Nymphenburg.
What is a Nippon mark?
Nippon basically means “made in Japan.” When you see a “Nippon” mark on the underside of a base of a piece of ceramic, you know that you have a piece that was made in Japan.
How old is china marked Nippon?
Any mark with "Nippon" had to be made before 1921 when the word was banned from U.S. imports. This rule held true until the early 1980s when new porcelain began appearing with marks containing the word "Nippon".
What is the most famous Japanese pottery?
9 Most Notable Styles Of Japanese Ceramics Arita ware, Saga Prefecture. ... Seto ware, Aichi Prefecture. ... Mino ware, Gifu Prefecture. ... Takoname ware, Aichi Prefecture. ... Shigaraki ware, Shiga Prefecture. ... Bizen ware, Okayama Prefecture. ... Karatsu ware, Saga Prefecture. ... Kutani ware, Ishikawa Prefecture.More items...•
How do you tell if a vase is Chinese or Japanese?
1:526:29Tips on How to Identify both Chinese and Japanese Cloisonne - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd scrollwork on Later pieces you can find bands of rui. Which are similar to the shape of a heartMoreAnd scrollwork on Later pieces you can find bands of rui. Which are similar to the shape of a heart another border you'll commonly find on pieces of chinese.
What does it mean when it says Occupied Japan?
"Occupied Japan" (OJ) is a term used for the time period from 1945 (after World War II) through April 25, 1952; it was during this time that the Allies "occupied" Japan. You will also see items marked "Occupied Germany" - both of which are generally an insult to these countries.
Who occupied Japan after ww2?
the United StatesAfter the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United States led the Allies in the occupation and rehabilitation of the Japanese state. Between 1945 and 1952, the U.S. occupying forces, led by General Douglas A. MacArthur, enacted widespread military, political, economic, and social reforms.
When did Japanese ceramics start being stamped?
Most Japanese ceramics were not stamped with any backstamp or they were marked with the Artist's or Manufacture's name in Japanese. 1891 - 1921 - Starting in March, 1891, after enactment of the McKinley Tariff Act, all goods imported to the U.S. were required to be marked in English with the country of origin. ...
When did Japan make the word "made in" mandatory?
In 1914 the Tariff Act has amended to make the words "Made In" in addition to the country of origin mandatory. This was not rigorously enforced until around 1921 so some pre 1921 pieces can still be found without the "Made In" wordage. Most Japanese pieces from this period were marked "Nippon" or "Hand Painted Nippon".
When were Japanese ceramics imported to the US?
A Short History of Import Markings and Dating of Japanese Ceramics. Pre 1891- Items imported to the U.S. did not have to be marked with the country of their origin. Most Japanese ceramics were not stamped with any backstamp or they were marked with the Artist's or Manufacture's name in Japanese. 1891 - 1921 - Starting in March, 1891, ...
When did the US start importing from Japan?
Imports from Japan did not really start back up until the summer of 1947. 1947 - 1952 - The occupation of Japan by the U.S. began in September 1945 but no items reached the U.S. from Japan until around August 1947. All imports from Japan up till 1949 had to be stamped "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan".
When did the US stamp "Occupied Japan"?
All imports from Japan up till 1949 had to be stamped "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan". In 1949 the U.S. Custom Service decreed that "Occupied Japan", "Made in Occupied Japan", "Made in Japan" or just "Japan" where acceptable. Most pieces were backstampted in black ink.
Can you backstamped an 8 place setting?
In an effort to save on labor costs not all pieces in a setting were backstamped. This means that you can have an 8 place setting that was imported as a 12 place setting with no stamps at all. Prior to WW ll the few paper stickers that made it to the U.S. were very flimsy and glued on with very weak glue.
What was the first known written reference to Japan?
During this period, the first known written reference to Japan was recorded in the Chinese Book of Han in the first century CE.
When was Japan first discovered?
History of Japan. The first human inhabitation in the Japanese archipelago has been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BCE. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi people in the first millennium BCE when new inventions were introduced from Asia.
Who was the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate?
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder of the Kamakura shogunate in 1192. This was the first military government in which the shogun with the samurai were the de facto rulers of Japan. Upon the consolidation of power, Minamoto no Yoritomo chose to rule in concert with the Imperial Court in Kyoto.
How many people died in the Battle of Okinawa?
The Battle of Okinawa, fought between April and June 1945, was the largest naval operation of the war and left 115,000 soldiers and 150,000 Okinawan civilians dead, suggesting that the planned invasion of mainland Japan would be even bloodier.
What happened in Japan in 2011?
Since the Lost Decade of the 1990s, economic growth has slowed. On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered from a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, which killed almost 20,000 people and caused the serious Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster .
How long was Hirohito's reign?
Emperor Hirohito 's sixty-three-year reign from 1926 to 1989 is the longest in recorded Japanese history. The first twenty years were characterized by the rise of extreme nationalism and a series of expansionist wars. After suffering defeat in World War II, Japan was occupied by foreign powers for the first time in its history, and then re-emerged as a major world economic power.
When did humans first arrive in Japan?
Early humans likely arrived on Japan by sea on watercraft. Evidence of human habitation has been dated to 32,000 years ago in Okinawa's Yamashita Cave and up to 20,000 years ago on Ishigaki Island's Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave.
What is the tag for "made in Japan"?
In the 1940s, the US Customs Bureau stated that items manufactured or produced in Japan should be properly marked to indicate their origin with one of the following tags: “Japan”, “Made In Japan”, “Occu pied Japan”, or “Made In Occupied Japan”. In addition, many factories would also place a red ...
What were the items made in Japan in the 1950s?
Some of these classified items were ceramics, toys, souvenir and novelty items, and small electronics. Although today, there is quite a demand in the Antiques and Collectibles arena for goods made in Japan and marked Occupied Japan, ...
Overview
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BCE. The Jōmon period,named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BCE when new inventions were introduced from Asia. During this period, the first known written reference to Japan was recorded in the Chinese Book of Han in the first century CE.
Prehistoric and ancient Japan
Hunter-gatherers arrived in Japan in Paleolithic times, though little evidence of their presence remains, as Japan's acidic soils are inhospitable to the process of fossilization. However, the discovery of unique edge-ground axes in Japan dated to over 30,000 years ago may be evidence of the first Homo sapiens in Japan. Early humans likely arrived on Japan by sea on watercraft. Evidence of human habitation has been dated to 32,000 years ago in Okinawa's Yamashita Cave and …
Classical Japan
The Asuka period began as early as 538 CE with the introduction of the Buddhist religion from the Korean kingdom of Baekje. Since then, Buddhism has coexisted with Japan's native Shinto religion, in what is today known as Shinbutsu-shūgō. The period draws its name from the de facto imperial capital, Asuka, in the Kinai region.
The Buddhist Soga clan took over the government in the 580s and controlled Japan from behind …
Feudal Japan
Upon the consolidation of power, Minamoto no Yoritomo chose to rule in concert with the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Though Yoritomo set up his own government in Kamakura in the Kantō region located in eastern Japan, its power was legally authorized by the Imperial court in Kyoto in several occasions. In 1192, the emperor declared Yoritomo seii tai-shōgun (征夷大将軍; Eastern Barbarian Subduing Great General), abbreviated as shōgun. Yoritomo's government was called the bakufu ( …
Early modern Japan
The Edo period was characterized by relative peace and stability under the tight control of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled from the eastern city of Edo (modern Tokyo). In 1603, Emperor Go-Yōzei declared Tokugawa Ieyasu shōgun, and Ieyasu abdicated two years later to groom his son as the second shōgun of what became a long dynasty. Nevertheless, it took time for the Tokugawas to consolidate their rule. In 1609, the shōgun gave the daimyō of Satsuma Domain pe…
Modern Japan
The emperor was restored to nominal supreme power, and in 1869, the imperial family moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo ("eastern capital"). However, the most powerful men in the government were former samurai from Chōshū and Satsuma rather than the emperor, who was fifteen in 1868. These men, known as the Meiji oligarchs, oversaw the dramatic changes Japan would experience during this period. The leaders of the Meiji government desired Japan to beco…
Social conditions
Social stratification in Japan became pronounced during the Yayoi period. Expanding trade and agriculture increased the wealth of society, which was increasingly monopolized by social elites. By 600 AD, a class structure had developed which included court aristocrats, the families of local magnates, commoners, and slaves. Over 90% were commoners, who included farmers, merchants, and artisans. During the late Heian period, the governing elite consisted of three clas…
See also
• Economic history of Japan
• Higashiyama period
• Historiography of Japan
• History of East Asia
• History of Japanese art