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Discover Mid-America — April 2004

Getting to know Noritake

Noritake items are semi-antique and very collectable. Prices on these items are on the rise, and it won’t be long before they skyrocket, just as the older Nippon pieces have. (Nippon was a forerunner to Noritake.)

A sampling of Noritake china provided by dealer Cheryl Houchen at River Market Antique Mall in Kansas City. Photo by Lee Ingalls.

During the 1920s and 30s the Noritake Company adopted a streamlined mass-production system and established a reputation for manufacturing fine quality china that they have maintained ever since. Items made in Japan prior to 1921 would have been backstamped Nippon as the country of their origin. As of September 1, 1921, U.S. Customs agents were instructed that merchandise for Japan, the marking of which was governed by the McKinley Tariff Act passed in October of 1890, should not be released when bearing only the Japanese word Nippon to indicate the country of origin. Thus the era of Nippon-marked goods was over.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, items from Japan were not imported into the U.S. for several years. Noritake did not use the “Made in Occupied Japan” backstamp until August 1947, when their export trade was reopened. This mark was then used until the Japan-United States Peace Treaty was signed in 1952. During 1946 and 1947 the Noritake Company used the name “Rose China” on pieces they manufactured.

Collectors and dealers refer to Noritake collectibles as the wares manufactured between 1921 and 1941, although many desirable items have been produced since.

Novelty pieces and figurals also attract collectors. The Art Deco style was perfect for the Luster and Noritake produced much during the 1921-1941 time span. Luster solutions used by the Noritake Company were made up of metals or oxides of metals such as gold, copper, nickel, tin, cobalt, chromium oxide and others with various oils as solvents. The company made a number of lusterware pieces before WWII but after the war made only three luster patterns in dinnerware in 1965. One reason for this was that the ware was inferior in its durability against chemicals or hot water.

When buying Noritake, as with everything else, always check carefully for damage and remember that scarcity and condition determine the price.

Recent auction prices - Noritake
Bowl #12 10” $45.00
Condiment set #14 (5 piece) $55.00
Teapot (Tree in meadow) #2 $80.00

If you have a question on an antique or collectible, drop us a line: J & J, 4465 Lonedell Rd., St. Louis MO 63010.

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