Brilliant porcelain across the Pacific Ocean – Old Noritake: Beauty Bridging East & West

[Inscription] M-JAPAN

[Year of Manufacture] 1921 –1941 (approx.) 

Clowns were often seen as characteristic Art Deco figures, and those appearing on Japan’s export porcelains were similar in many ways to the pantomime clowns of France. In the Kottler Collection’s design book, the term “Pierrette” is used instead of “Clown.” Pierrettes can often be male as well as female clowns, and, as can be seen in this piece, they always wear shoes with heels. 

In the case of the clowns designed for Japan’s modern export porcelains, the colors of their makeup and costumes, including the number of colors, were somewhat restrained compared to the actual characters they are based on. Considering that ceramic pierrettes or clowns were often used to decorate daily necessities such as ashtrays, accessory cases, and food containers, it’s easy to imagine that colors that didn’t clash with the harmony of the surrounding environment would be preferred.