Antique Japanese Hand-Painted Porcelain (Nippon)

The Nippon era of hand-painted porcelain from Japan began in 1891 as a direct response to the McKinley Tariff Act, which mandated that all imported items to America be labelled with their country of origin. “Nippon” literally translates to Japan, making every authentic Nippon piece identifiable by its distinctive stamp, marking its production between 1891 and 1921. In 1921, the USA revised its regulations, requiring Japanese imports to bear the label “Japan” instead of “Nippon.” This pivotal change not only signified the end of the Nippon era but also provided collectors with a crucial method for authentication.

Renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship, Nippon porcelain items boast intricate, hand-painted designs of unmatched elegance. However, collectors must be vigilant against counterfeit pieces that began flooding the market in the 1980s. Our carefully curated collection has been meticulously examined for authenticity. The first fake Nippon pieces appeared in the early 1980s, characterized by subpar decoration and fraudulent backstamps, which experienced collectors could easily distinguish from genuine ones. Yet, many novice collectors unknowingly added these deceptive pieces to their collections. Over time, counterfeiters improved their techniques, making backstamps more convincing, but to the trained eye, these fakes remain identifiable.