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AI Appraisal
Description
I have two "tea sets" that came from my grandmother and I've no idea if they have any value or if they came from an old 5 and dime once upon a time. Would love some help assessing these items as I don't even know where I'd begin to start looking for info. Thanks.
Category
China
Distinguishing marks
The oriental pieces have a female face in the bottom of the cups, raised, but not colored in any way.
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Re: Grandma's china
We'd need to see images of any company markings on these pieces to really tell you much about them. Values depend a great deal on the maker.
Re: Grandma's china
Thanks for the reply. The Oriental one has only a picture and some Chinese(?) symbols. The gold only a made in Japan sticker, so I suspect grandma may have found them pretty at some point. I can't seem to figure out how to upload pics through comments. :( Will try to mod the OP and see if I can add more pics to that.
Re: Grandma's china
I'd suggest just upload each as a separate appraisal and we can look at them that way.
Re: Grandma's china
The red rimmed teacup seems to be classic Kutani (the pottery) Geisha Girl (name of series), distinctive in its face at the bottom of the teacup. The face is normally called the "secret geisha" and its colourless feature as you describe is a process called lithopane where clay is cast in vary thicknesses so a face of light and shadow is illuminated - a bit like a distant black and white photo. The Geisha Girl teasets were made of very thin porcelain, in their thousands, and distributed through ordinary department stores, but I don't think this lessens their attractiveness and the "secret geisha" is always a conversation point and a fun surprise for children.
Re: Grandma's china
You description sounds exactly right. :) Thank you so much. I will research the key phrases and names you have provided. me. Thank you again for your help.
Re: Grandma's china
For your gold teacup, do some research on Demitasse porcelain (1920s-1930s) with its 24k gold tea sets and you will soon find Japanese versions of the Bavarian one. I think it belongs in this group, as I recall similar hand painted Victorian attendants to a seated woman, in what is described as a cameo feature on these cups. This was the romance period and the Japanese bought out some fine tea sets with Victorian portrait cameos and gilded glazes such as yours.
Re: Grandma's china
Thank you very much for your info. I will get right on looking that up. I'm so glad to have found people here who have knowledge in this area, as I clearly have none. :)