Featured grandma's vases

dear all

this was something my grandmother had. she gave my mother only one vase but mum talked her into giving her the other ... as the story goes. unusual for mum to swipe something if it has not got any family value. so, just wondering whether this was something my grandmother got during or just after the japanese occupation.

it is rough, like an amateur pottery class item. and not a delicate pattern/style. they are 9 1/2" tall. made in japan circular mark with what looks like an "n" or "u" or some japanese character.

regards
phaik hooi

 

"Made in" stamped on items occurred after 1921 according to US import laws

I suspect made around the late 20s into the 30s. But that is only a guess on my part.

 

Phaik, sorry to promote something else here:
Since this is also Asian, I am currently lobbying for an Asian antiques forum:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/asian-antiques-forum-please.22293/#post-300264
Everyone please support us.

 

U could have a 2nd job as a lobbyist !!

 

I'm surprised these are Japanese. I would have guessed Italian. The decorative technique would be called sgraffito in the west. Don't know if there's a different term in the far east.

 

me too! it is so "un-japanese", "un-chinese" as well

if it was 1920-30s, then it could have been from grandma's old home, the one mum was born in. it was not unusual for son-in-laws to live with the bride's family, akin to family getting another son. and sons are everything in the chinese household

 

looks similar to this

must have been a "made for an export" item. any idea how to find more information about "for export" japanese pottery?

@moreotherstuff tq for the terminology!

 

Alas, the powers that be will not let it be.
I also attended a PR college, in what seems like another lifetime.

 

This piece is quite an enigma. Take away the impressed “Made in Japan” seal and the vase becomes purely a 1920’s Italian vase from the region of Umbria (Deruta, Perugia, etc). But that stamp adds a facet to the story that just doesn’t fit. Firstly, lets establish that just because the vase belonged to Grandma that its old. Most elderly, like myself, remain consumers for life. I personally have made many purchases of consumer goods in the last year. Therefore not everything in a senior’s home is an antique. Thus, we can’t assume that your vase is old but rather that it was made to look old. Japan today does very little manufacturing. Very few goods sold in the U.S, today are marked “Made in Japan”. As a matter of fact I challenge forum members to search their own homes and try to discover a “Made in Japan” label. The situation was quite different in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. At that time Japan was struggling to rise from the ashes of a World War and the country was looking for anything it could export to make money. However, Japan never created knock-off items meant to fool the consumer. They never produced, in any quantity at least, imitation Italian pottery. In my honest opinion these vases were created by an italian. Maybe the artist was living in Japan but they weren’t created by a Japanese artist.

 

Could it be a Japanese artist who trained in Italy?

 

Maybe not Italian pottery, but in the 1930s Japan put out a whole line of Gouda pottery.
Japan mimicked many different art styles
Japan was enamored of European and Western arts. The head vases are often take offs of the American movie stars.
They copied the Hagen Renaker animals to a point that it is sometimes hard to tell the difference.
I'm sure if I put my mind to it, I could come up with many more examples, but it's still too early for the gears to be warmed up and turning.

Oh and the other thing that speaks 1930s Japan is the type of pottery with the painted bottom.

As for things made in Japan, in the late 60s, Hong Kong became the major market for inexpensive items for American imports. Lefton continued as did Andrea of Sadek, Otagiri, Fitz and Floyd. I'm sure there are others.
However, Japan was turning it's market towards electronics.

 

the story is that they were a wedding gift. wedding 1928. but these stories can be so unreliable although as i said, mum would never swipe it if it didn't have family history .... so anybody's guess?