VINTAGE (1930-1960) JAPANESE DRAGONWARE MORIAGE GEISHA LITHOPHANE PURPLE LUSTERWARE 17 PIECE TEASET

VINTAGE (1930-1960) JAPANESE DRAGONWARE MORIAGE GEISHA LITHOPHANE PURPLE LUSTERWARE 17 PIECE HAND PAINTED PORCELAIN TEASET

A 17 PIECE PURPLE LUSTERWARE DRAGONWARE MORIAGE TEASET WITH RAISED DESIGNS OF DRAGONS WRAPPING THEMSELVES AROUND ALL THE PIECES. ALL THE CUPS SHOW A GEISHA LITHOPHANE IMAGE ON THE BOTTOM. THIS SET DATES POST WAR MID TWENTIETH CENTURY AND IS TIPICAL OF EXPORT ENAMEL JEWELLED SATSUMA-STYLE TEA SETS OF THE TIME.
 
THIS SET LIKELY DATES TO THE POST WORLD WAR 2 ERA FOR ANOTHER REASON. Originally, the dragon decoration was wrapped around the whole object. A practice we can say ended by the time of WWII according to online sources. OUR SET HAS A DRAGON ONLY ON ONE SIDE.
 
THE 17 PIECE TEASET INCLUDES A BEAUTIFUL TEAPOT WITH LID, A CREAMER, A LIDDED SUGAR BOWL, 6 TEACUPS, 6 SAUCERS.
 
THIS IS A GORGEOUS SET OF PURPLE DRAGONWARE. All pieces has a purplish blue under the glaze strap decoration. Then all pieces are hand painted over the glaze with fire-breathing dragons. The dragons are done in grey, brown, blue eyes with white enamel for the beaded scales.
 
MARKINGS NO MARKINGS
 
SIZES AND CONDITION:
LIDDED TEAPOT 19CM WIDE FROM SPOUT TO HANDLE 18CM HIGH UP TO LID FINIAL
MILK CREAMER 9,0CM WIDE FROM SPOUT TO HANDLE 8,0CM HIGH
SUGAR BOWL 13,0CM WIDE FROM HANDLE TO HANDLE 10,0CM HIGH
6 x TEACUPS 9CM WIDE UP TO HANDLE 4,0CM HIGH
6 x SAUCERS 14,3CM DIAMETER 1,5CM HIGH
 
CONDITION: NO CHIPS. NO CRACKS. HAND PAINTED ENAMEL AND MORIAGE ARTWORK STILL BEAUTIFUL ON ALL PIECES.
DRAGONWARE:
DRAGONWARE IS JAPANESE EXPORT PORCELAIN DECORATED WITH DRAGONS IN A TECHNIQUE CALLED MORIAGE MEANING "RAISED ENAMELS". THE EFFECT HAS BY SOME AUTHORS BEEN LIKENED BY CAKE FROSTING.
Dragonware dates from around the 1880s and later. Dragonware porcelain was first produced in the 19th century during the Meiji period (1868-1912), when Japan opened its borders to foreign trade and began exporting its goods to the West.
The designs on dragonware often feature detailed depictions of dragons in various poses and colors, surrounded by clouds, flames, and other traditional Japanese motifs.
To create the raised enamels a slip (liquefied clay) is used, which is a thick mixture of clay and water. Also, moriage pottery is not glazed so it has a matte finish. On the earlier pieces as in before the 1920s some enamels and gilding occurs along the raised slip decoration.
IN GENERAL THE DECORATION BECOMES LESS ORNATE OVER TIME. ON THE EARLIER PIECES THE DRAGONS WOULD WRAP AROUND THE ENTIRE PIECE AND THE EYES WOULD BE MADE OF GLASS BEADS. AS TIME PASSED BY, THE GLASS EYES DISAPPEARED. THE SIZE OF THE DRAGON WAS DIMINISHED. ORIGINALLY, THE DRAGON DECORATION WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE WHOLE OBJECT. A PRACTICE WE CAN SAY ENDED BY THE TIME OF WWII.
In decorations made after the WWII the dragons are generally reduced in size and does not wrap around the entire piece. On some Japanese export porcelain there are marks that can help with dating. From 1891 until 1921 pieces was required to be marked with the word Nippon, meaning Japan (Ni hon) after which it was replaced by Made in Japan.
SOME PIECES ARE NOT MARKED REGARDLESS OF PERIOD. During a short period between 1946-47 porcelain exported from Japan to the US were marked Made in Occupied Japan. If design is high end but only on one side of the object, then it is probably after WWII.
SOME DRAGONWARE ARE COMBINED WITH A RAISED FACE IN THE PORCELAIN BASE WHICH COULD BE SEEN AS A POSITIVE IMAGE WHEN HELD UP TO THE LIGHT. THIS TECHNIQUE IS CALLED LITOPHANE AND WAS MADE IN JAPAN BETWEEN THE LATE 1930'S AND INTO THE LATE 1950'S/EARLY 1960'S, MOSTLY FOR EXPORT.
Modern Dragonware is made for the souvenir industry and is of a poorer workmanship. Usually from the 1960s and later.
 
LITHOPHANE GEISHAS AND SATSUMA WARE:
To make a porcelain teacup lithophane, some areas of porcelain are thicker than others so that when the cup is held up to a light, the difference in porcelain thickness creates an image. IN JAPANESE EXPORT WARE OF THE 1900S, THE IMAGE WAS OFTEN A GEISHA. (Geisha are professional entertainers who attend to guests during meals, banquets and other occasions.)
Concurrent with lithophane teacups was dragonware moriage pottery. Note that moriage is not always dragonware, but true dragonware is always moriage. Moriage itself evolved from Satsuma waredeveloped in the 1500s by Korean potters in southern Japanin which pieces were sometimes decorated with raised designs made of polychrome enamel or even gilt.
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE ANOTHER HANDPAINTED DRAGONWARE PORCELAIN SET ALSO ON AUCTION THIS WEEK. COPY THE URL UNDERNEATH AND PASTE INTO GOOGLE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO ALL MY LISTINGS THIS WEEK. NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY.
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