Help me, fancy porcelain side of tumblr! I’m trying to identify this bone china that belonged to my mom, which belongs under the heading of “hand-painted Japanese gold chrysanthemum pattern” or some such ??? She was way into this pattern and saved up for each precious piece. I have four of them and don’t know what to do with them; donate to a museum? Give to…I don’t know, The Society for Preservation of Incredibly Fancy Things I Would Break If I Kept Them ARound???! HALP
okay! i have more information, which is these pieces are likely Satsuma ware from the 20s (altho there is a small chance they are counterfeit). The craquelure on the bottom of the large and small bowls leads me to believe those are authentic (also the slightly duller colors) whereas the sugar bowl and creamers are a little too bright so it’s possible they are counterfeit. in any event, late era Satsuma ware was not well regarded by critics as it was styled to appeal to Westerners and “ruined the art.” It was considered way too glitzy. heh. This certainly explained why my mom liked it. (Sorry, mom 🙂 I’m hoping I can find an interested museum to donate them to.
To add to the drama, one of the pieces, a nearly identical bowl, sold on ebay for $1,250 US in 2015.
There are some fine bone china stores in the Japantown mall. Perhaps take one of the pieces there and ask for recommendations for an appraisal? Or check with some of the estate agents in SF?
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