Ceramic Nippon Morimura Brothers Decorative Dish Vide Poche or Catchall 1800s

Description

A rare find, this decorative oval shaped Nippon catchall by Morimura Brothers is a fabulous example of early Japanese ceramics. … more A rare find, this decorative oval shaped Nippon catchall by Morimura Brothers is a fabulous example of early Japanese ceramics. A lovely ceramic dish for holding change or other items, it will be a fabulous chintz addition to any nightstand or foyer table. Highly decorated in bouquets of pink and yellow flowers, the center of the dish is the showstopper. A chinoiserie bird in flight with a pink breast and yellow, blue and green feathers takes center stage. Surrounding him are more bouquets of flowers and a single pink and blue bird. The rim of the dish is encircled with a blue ribbon adorned with intricately painted flowers such as white daisys and pink and yellow peonies. Two handles are at each end for carrying. The handles and the rim are both painted in gold.

The back stamp at bottom reads in green, “M-in-Wreath, hand-painted ("M" stands for importer,
Morimura Bros.); Nippon.”
Mark used since 1911.

The practice of painting of the word “Nippon” on ceramic bases began in 1891 in response to the U.S. McKinley Tariff Act, which forbade the import of items that weren’t “plainly marked, stamped, branded, or labeled in legible English words.” Nippon is an English word approximating a pronunciation of the Japanese word for Japan, but in 1921, the word was ruled Japanese in origin, so Nippon was no longer accepted by U.S. Customs Agents. From then on, imported Japanese china was stamped Japan. Today, Nippon-marked porcelain tends to have a higher value than pieces marked Japan.

Specifications:
9.5" Wide
6" Deep
1.25" Tall
.6 lbs less