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Japanese lusterware tea set shines

Q. Your column is in our local newspaper each week. I wonder if you could help me. I have a porcelain tea set that is a service for 12. It includes teacups, saucers, sandwich plates, a teapot, a cream pitcher, a sugar bowl and a vase. Enclosed is a picture of my set. Each dish is blue and outlined in black and has an iridescent border. I am guessing it is at least 60 years old. My mother gave it to me, and it originally belonged to her aunt. All the pieces are marked with the words "Made in Japan."

Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

A. You have a porcelain set of lusterware that was made in Japan. Lusterware is a technique that is centuries old. The iridescent quality is the result of a metallic glaze that is applied during the last firing. Objects that were marked "Made in Japan" were made from 1921 to around 1941. Prior to 1921, pieces were marked with the word "Nippon." After World War II, from 1947 to 1952, pottery and porcelain were marked "Made in Occupied Japan." Lusterware sets made in Japan were in demand from the 1920s till the 1940s. Some of most popular pieces include tea sets, luncheon sets, wall pockets, condiment sets and ashtrays.

Your service for 12 is circa 1930 and would probably be worth 125 to $175.

Q. This mark is on a set of blue-and-white cups and saucers that I inherited. Each piece is decorated with two buildings surrounded by trees. The cups are 3 inches high, and the saucers are 6 inches in diameter, and they are in perfect condition.

What can you tell me about the maker, vintage and value of my cups and saucers? Is 1790 the year they were made?

A. George Jones and Sons made your cups and saucers. It made earthenware, porcelain and majolica in Staffordshire, England, from 1861 to 1951. Your set was decorated with flow-blue transfer prints; it was also available in red. Designs are engraved on copper plates and then filled with paint. Tissue paper is then applied to the heated plate and removed and pressed on an object. The paper is removed when it's dry, leaving the design. Essentially, the design is transferred from the copper plate to an object, thus the name "transfer print." The English "Abbey" pattern is circa 1790.

Your set of cups and saucer were made around 1901 and would probably be worth $175 to $225.

• 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

George Jones and Sons was located in Staffordshire, England.
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