Geisha Girl cup, saucer a childhood treasure
Q. This is a photo of a child's porcelain teacup with a matching saucer. Both are in very good condition. They are decorated with gardens, temples and Asian women in kimonos. They appear to be hand-painted, and the edges of the cup and saucer are red-orange in color. The set was given to me by my nanny when I was a young child, sometime in the early 1940s.
I would never part with it and hope you can provide some information on its history.
A. Your teacup and saucer are examples of Geisha Girl porcelain that was made in Japan. Paper-thin porcelain with hand-painted women in kimonos was first made in Japan in the late 1800s. Blue, green, red, yellow and gold were the colors used by the decorators. Early pieces were embellished in gold and hand-painted. Many pieces were decorated with a wash of color and not always painted inside the lines. Scenes included geisha girls standing near temples, lakes, flowers and gardens. Myriad patterns can be found on tea sets, chocolate sets, saltshakers, pepper shakers, pitchers and dishes. Some pieces in the early to mid-1900s were sold in dime stores and movie theaters, or as premiums/free giveaways that were packed in boxes of tea or grocery products. Early dishes were marked with the name "Nippon." After 1921, the marks said "Japan" or "Made in Japan." After World War II, the mark "Made in Occupied Japan" was used until 1952. Beware: There are reproductions/fakes, many of which are made in China.
Your teacup and saucer were made around 1942 and would probably fetch $20 to $25 in an antiques shop.
Q. This mark is on the bottom of a 1-quart glass casserole dish with matching clear glass lid that I received at my wedding shower in 1964. It is yellow, and the lid is decorated with a stylized image of the sun. The center has orange and bright-yellow rays. It is in perfect condition, and I still use it.
I am just curious whether it is "antique or junque."
A. Corning Glass Works, located in Corning, New York, made your Pyrex casserole dish. It was part of a set that included two larger dishes. The "Pyrex" mark was first used in 1915. Your casserole was part of the "Cinderella" line of glass dishes. It was introduced in the late 1950s, and the pattern is known by the name "Sunburst" or "Daisy."
Your casserole is less than an antique and more than junque. It might be worth $25 to $35.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
© 2018, Creators Syndicate