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

[Year of Manufacture] Meiji Era

The older woman drawn on this cup has a singular presence. However, when the cup is lifted off, the same older woman can be seen to be drawn on the saucer as well, so that both illustrations appear to be one complete picture. The woman pictured has a uniquely strange smile, making her face seemingly unforgettable. Neither the name of the kiln nor the year this work was produced is known, but judging from its design and its thin-as-eggshell form, there would be no dispute if it were assumed to be a work created in the early Meiji Era (1868 – 1912).