Eggshell porcelain | Vintage Japanese Maple Tree Teacup & Saucer, est. c. 1940s

Artwork on eggshell china runs from sweet-but-not-out-of-the-ordinary to drop dead gorgeous. Ceramics decorators sometimes made more effort for the export market, less for the domestic or indeed vice versa depending on who the client was (and I suppose, their personal values!).

This beautiful cup dates probably from the 1940s; Mount Fuji is on one side. The colours are deep, rich and precise under the glaze - probably not therefore, hand painted. The gold decoration though, has been hand-drawn afterwards :) Japanese maple trees represent balance and practicality and are called "kito" in the Japanese language, which means "calm," "rest" or "at peace." Quite a suitable motif for a teacup then.

Notes:
Despite the variable quality of the artwork, eggshell porcelain itself is absurdly thin and superb. It is mostly made in the same way regardless of its destination, so usually the decor is where you'll see a bigger difference. Although eggshell porcelain was invented during the Song dynasty in China, modern eggshell china production began around 1915; which means most of the eggshell on the market today is vintage not antique. Most of the eggshell in second hand markets or from private individuals here in Sweden comes from Japan (look out for anything that resembles Mount Fuji either in the pattern or on the stamp :), although eggshell china is also produced of course, in China.

Cup Diameter 8.5cm
Saucer Diameter 13cm