Geisha girl
Geisha girl porcelain has its name from its decoration where Japanese ladies in kimonos occurs. It was made in Japan for export from the late nineteenth century. Its popularity peaked from about 1900 to 1935. It was inexpensive and often sold in dime stores, used as free premiums, cups and saucers were often "free" give-aways inside large containers of Japanese tea. In its better versions, it were a popular gift. The marks varies between the names of the maker such as Kutani, the exporting company, the buyer, the marks of a store and some are just marked 'JAPAN'.
The Collector's Encyclopedia of Geisha Girl Porcelain by Elyce Litts, 1988, catalogues over 200 different patterns of these collectible wares. The patterns have remained so popular that some are still in production today. At the turn of the century there were over 1,300 potters making these wares in Kaga province of Japan, employing some 2700 people.
During the first few decades of the 20th century when the production increased, large porcelain decorating centers opened in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe and Yokohama. Many were 'cottage businesses' with extended families - parents, grandparents, children - all participating in the creation of the porcelain.
The Western markets at this time had a great interest in oriental designs, Japanese and other oriental styles of artwork, furnishings and accessories for the home. The wares were presented in catalogs and newspapers by several Western companies dating to around 1910-1915, describing Geisha Girl wares as "Jap China," or "Seto Ware decorated in Kobe," etc. See for example 'Vantines' and 'Liberty'.
The more sought-after patterns have hand-painted designs with a lot of gold on them while the mass-produced type have stencilled designs, rather than hand-painted, but they are still very nice and I think Japanese green tea tastes wonderful when served in these collectible, thin cups. The stencil-design pieces may not fetch high prices, but they are colorful and fun to collect.
The cocoa cup and saucer illustrated to the right is geisha girl porcelain. The faint mark is Ko which means, among other things 'First' (as in, first in a series) but could also be a name. The set dates to the 1930s.
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