Anyone able to help identify these Chinese ceramics ?

Hello guys, I'm new here but with burning question. Is anyone able to recongnize this piece of Chinese ceramics ?? I got it from my dad and I know nothing about antiques
Every help is greatly appreciated. (posting IMGUR link because the pictures are "too large" ) http://imgur.com/a/uf3Ta

 

Hi, Filip -- Welcome!

The picture of the woman in the bottom is called a lithophane. And she looks like a Geisha so I think this may be Japanese rather than Chinese.

Many people won't click on links here. If you could resize the images the posting should work.

Here is some information about lithophanes from Gotheborg.com: http://gotheborg.com/glossary/lithophane.shtml

 

Hello and welcome Filip.
Yes, she is a lady with a Japanese hairdo, so Japanese.
She is not a geisha, her kimono is closed high, and her face doesn't seem to be painted.
Geisha is a specific profession, and I think many Japanese women would be upset if they were called a geisha. The way a geisha wears a kimono:

 

The mark is 二明. A name no doubt but offhand I can't find a reading for it (Chinese characters as used in Japanese have several potential readings).

 

Thank you for the clarification, Any Jewelry! I certainly would not want to offend anybody.

 

Japanese dragon ware with lithopane.

@Any Jewelry
She is considered a geisha girl lithopane

http://www.lithophane.org.uk/japanese/japanese.html

 

She is called geisha girl by the owner of the website, who probably doesn't mean any harm. But that doesn't mean that we have to perpetuate the term, if it is offensive to Japanese women.
I did see two lithophanes in her list that are probably of geishas, the others are Japanese women or girls who happened to be models for the lithophanes. Maybe they were workers in porcelain factories. There is no evidence any of these women were geisha girls.

 

Just an explanation, the geisha profession evolved from simple prostitution into a sophisticated relationship with male clients. In the 19th century geishas were educated worldly women who could entertain men with music, dance and conversation. Ideally a geisha would be free to decide if she wanted to have sex with her clients, although formally she was not employed to do that. In practice she didn't always have that choice.

A 'geisha girl' was a simple prostitute for American GIs. She was much worse of than official geishas.
During the post-war occupation of Japan, many Japanese women and young girls were approached as 'geisha girls' by GIs, which was not only offensive, but sometimes downright dangerous to the women and girls.
It is unlikely a Japanese porcelain manufacturer would make lithophanes of geisha girls.

 

Wow, thank you guys! I never expected this kind of .. well kindness :O And im gratefull for everyone's response. But I have one more question.What value this set could have, if any. I know it is very barbaric question to ask, but I would like to know if it is good for everyday use or should I just keep it on display ?

 

Of course, that is up to you. I would not use it every day because I do not know what would happen to the lithophane inside. You have a whole set?

 

Oh okey. Yea I do. And you have a point I wont use it.