KUTANI VIRTUAL MUSEUM

KUTANI LITHOPANE

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By end of 1930 all japanese ceramic manufacturers started production of lithopane on tea and sake cups. This fashion was linked with the first use of tea bag. This practice then became quite popular after the WWII and during Japan Occupation. Many pieces were brought back to US by american soldiers.

Kutani producers have also followed this trend and pieces with lithopane can effectively be found, however Kutani lithopanes are scarcely met with in Japan or in European flea markets as the production was made mainly localy for US customers. The production of lithopane slowly disappeared after the war and almost stopped in the 50's.


The quality and the style of the Kutani ceramic produced from 1930, up to the 1950's for this market is quite different from the original Kutani style and is not always of a very high quality. Japan was getting out with difficulty from the 1923 Mireki fire, the 1929 recession and then entered War. It was therefore mainly producing massively low quality products.

For those who want to know more about lithopane there is a site specialized on this subject which I recommend you to visit - Dragonware.com.