Nippon Mark Marks: How to Identify and Date Them

The 'Nippon' mark is not a single manufacturer's trademark, but a country-of-origin text legally required on the large volume of Japanese porcelain exported to the United States between 1891 and 1921, usually printed or hand-painted as the roman-letter word 'Nippon' on the base of the piece, sometimes alongside a manufacturer's own device mark (such as a wreath or fan pattern).

• Before 1891: There was not yet a unified requirement to mark the country of origin in roman letters; pieces were either left unmarked as to origin, or marked only with Japanese characters.
• 1891-1921: While the U.S. McKinley Tariff Act was in effect, Japanese porcelain exported to the United States was required to be marked in English with its country of origin; manufacturers chose the Japanese-language reading of 'Japan', 'Nippon', as the marking text, giving rise to this defined period.
• After 1921: The U.S. country-of-origin marking requirement changed to require the word 'Japan'; the 'Nippon' mark was technically no longer compliant, though individual manufacturers occasionally continued to use it after 1921.

A piece bearing the roman-letter 'Nippon' mark should, in theory, date from the 1891-1921 window defined by U.S. law; however, the mark only proves the piece was made in Japan and provides no further information such as the manufacturer or exact year, so dating requires combining it with the piece's decorative style and any accompanying manufacturer's device mark.

• After collecting interest surged in the 1960s, demand for 'Nippon'-marked pieces outstripped supply, and large numbers of fake 'Nippon' marks were added afterward using a transfer (decal) method; these fake marks are often applied under the glaze and look somewhat like a small piece of transparent tape.

belleek.com (the official history page of the Irish Belleek company), while explaining the reasons for its own mark changes, also independently mentions the same U.S. law, the 1891 McKinley Tariff Act, which corroborates Gotheborg's account and strengthens confidence in this historical fact.

Turn the piece over and light the mark from a low angle with a lamp or phone torch, which throws the impressed or engraved lines into relief; a printed or painted mark wants soft, even light instead. Fill the frame with the mark, then take a second shot of the whole piece. Do not clean tarnish off silver before photographing; the mark reads better dark. The app matches the mark and shape to the notes above.