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Hi again,

Does anyone have any information on the following makers:

Y.Ito & Co., Nagoya.

Fujiyama China, Made in Japan.

I've had a bit of a look on the internet and can't find anything on either.

Many thanks

Richard

I found a large lot of of what was said to be circa 1947 Fujiyama China listed on eBay, with the company indicated to be based in Yokohama. The URL is pasted below.

I also came across a Google 'book', actually the December 10, 1910 issue of a New York publication called the 'Oriental Economic Review', which listed Ito & Co. among Japanese merchants who had come to Chicago for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and stayed to open a shop in the City.

If you want to see the Google publication, I believe you can get back to it by searching for it by name and date.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :FujiyamaChina

Thanks Bill, I found one reference to Ito and co on further investigation, it was a photo of the interior of Ito's department store in Nagoya, which ties up nicely with the reference you found to a merchant. As for the Fujiyama, it also makes a lot of sense as the former owner of the very ornate teapot I bought for next to nothing says his father brought it back from a trip to Japan in 1950.

So here are a couple of pictures of the items with the marks. The Teapot is the Fujiyama one, the jar is the Ito one. Both do indeed look very twentieth century. I couldn't resist the teapot on account of the swirly orange! (I wonder if it makes a decent cup of tea?)

Richard

Covered item with handles is sugar bowl, made as part of tea set or tableware for export to west. Japanese factories made such things in huge numbers for sale department stores.

Good luck,
Cal

Any thoughts on the mystery teapot?

Your teapot really is no mystery. Production of this general type of polychrome Japanese dragonware with 'moriage' slip-painted accents had commenced by the 1920's in a number of Japanese factories, including in the Kutani region. Sets were available with or without lithophane images of geishas molded into the cup bottoms.

Most examples of this ware that I've seen at estate sales in the USA in recent years came to this country circa the mid-20th century with returning American military personnel who were in Japan during the post-World War II occupation or ensuing Korean War years.

Considering the provenance cited, I doubt that your Fujiyama teapot is much older than about 1940, and quite possibly was new when originally purchased in Japan in 1950. These tea wares are still common enough on this side of the Atlantic to sell for only around US$150-200 for a complete set with a half a dozen cups plus creamer and sugar. However, from a collector who needs a pot in this pattern variant and palette, a pot like yours might fetch US$50-75 by itself.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thanks Bill,

As it happens than fits quite well with the story the previous owner told me of his father bringing it back to the UK in 1950 after he'd been in Japan on business. Its been in his house ever since.
As for the value, its a lot better than I expected to be honest considering I paid a tenth of that at a boot sale!

Richard

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