Japanese tea set

Hi folks - I'm hoping to get some information on a Japanese tea set I inherited some years back. The story, as I was told growing up, was that my great-grandfather brought it over when he emigrated to the US (then Canada, thankfully!) from the Netherlands in the early 1900s, and that his (grand?)mother had received it as a wedding present years earlier. (Her father was a merchant in the Far East, as I understand, thus brought it back from his travels.)

I'm curious about the set's origins - I believe the maker's mark references Shimazu, rulers of Satsuma han in the Meiji period, and Japan of course, but I could be misreading/misinterpreting things. And none of that really makes much sense to me, anyway.

Any thoughts / insights? Cheers, & thanks in advance!

 

I found the last symbol as http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/crosses/kamon.html

 

It's a very pretty set. I went into gotheborg.com site and in the
Japanese satsuma list I found the mark or something very similar. Scroll down. See Recent Additions number 820. Shimazu family crest mid 20th century.

 

I had seen that earlier - actually have the pic saved in my reference list. Similar imagery & the symbol(s) are close; hard to compare up close with just these pictures. The site suggested possibly from mid-20th, but the wouldn't match the history of this set - unless it's a long-standing, traditional make? I really should take it in to a professional appraiser when I'm back next.

 

As far as I can tell, the circle is the family crest, but the characters beneath actually say Shimazu. If you read about Satsuma on the gotheborg site, you will probably be as confused as ever. An appraiser may be able to help, but I would be skeptical.

 

Yes, Japanese Mon or Kamon -family crests- are circular.

 

Lovely set. I think what you were told is probably correct.
I would date this to the late 1800s. Very nicely done with the details inside the cup.
Shows the immortals. @Any Jewelry could explain them better than I can.

The lid on the creamer probably belongs to the sugar bowl.