Noritake porcelain thimble
Name/Title
Noritake porcelain thimbleEntry/Object ID
2021.1.187Description
White porcelain Noritake thimble with gold band at bottom, part of the Franklin Mint "Thimbles of the World’s Greatest Porcelain Houses" series. Retailer description: "The design of the Noritake thimble was inspired by the gentle undulation and glossy luster of the precious silk fabrics that originated in the Orient thousands of years ago. This Japanese firm came into being in 1876 near the start of the Meiji era which marked the beginning of the industrialization of Japan. A very small company, its sole purpose was the manufacture of export chinaware. The import-export formalities were handled by the Morimura brothers who later opened offices in New York City and Nagoya, Japan. In 1904 the Noritake plant, called Nippon Toki Kaishu in Japan, was established in Nagoya to manufacture dinnerware for export to Europe and the United States. Other companies followed suit, but Noritake was the only one allowed to carry on the production of dinnerware during World War II, because the government did not wish its expertise to disappear. Most of the company’s records were destroyed during the war, but today there are eight Noritake factories manufacturing tableware in Japan. Unlike most other Japanese ware, the emphasis in Noritake is on the individual shape of the body rather than on the decoration. One of the principal identifying marks of this house was, for many years, the famous M-in-Wreath (“M” standing for Morimura), a mark well-known to collectors of Japanese porcelain. This mark was discontinued in 1941. The wreath came back into use, however, encircling an “N” for Noritake, just as it appears on the thimble."Collection
Marianne Kerr Thimble CollectionCategory
Tools