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Re: Need Help Identifying the maker of a Japanese plate

Posted By: Bill H
Posted Date: Jul 11, 2020 (10:38 AM)

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Whether or not the company you located has a connection to your plate is problematic. The base-mark is the Japanese and standard Chinese and Korean character for "Long Life" and one of the most auspicious characters in those languages. As such, it is a prime choice for use as a name by commercial enterprises, especially foodstuff and medicinal potion makers, restaurants and associated businesses. My Google searches found a Kotobuki Trading Company in South San Francisco, California, which imports various kinds of dishes and other ceramics into the USA, and has a prominent 'Kotobuki' character on its paper label. There's a Kotobuki district in Yokohama that actually is (or was) a run down area for homeless persons and transient laborers for the Port of Yokohama, but I couldn't find a "Kotobuki" kiln in Japan. So finding a specific maker may be a chore (unless one of the forum's Japanese experts has other resources at hand).

In my opinion, your dish looks a bit like the 'luster ware' (or 'lustre ware') that Japan exported from around the 1920s through mid-20th century. The luster is difficult to see in some photos, but you should be able to detect it if present by looking at the dish under the proper lighting.

Good luck,

Bill H.

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