Japanese Small Cup

[pewaukme]

What a wonderful forum. I hope someone can help me to identify this cup. It is 2.5 inches tall. I believe, from information gleaned from this site, that the lowest indented mark is the jungin and upper 3 characters - and the "twin peak" mark identify the maker, the first character "no" and the third "by". Verifying what I've found and identifying the maker and approximate time period would be greatly appreciated.

[davidross]

Welcome to the forum.

The marks reads vertically, "Nomura zo" (literally, "Nomura-made"), with a stylized mountain logo, then horizontally "jungin" (as you have correctly identified).

NOMURA Yozo (1870-1965) founded Samurai Shokai in Yokohama in 1894. The cup and marks look typical of the period 1900-1920.

For more information, please see the "Samurai Shokai" entry on page 2 of the "Chinese Export Silver and Far East Trade Information" section of the Contributors' Notes:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24259&start=20

Regards,

DR

[pewaukme]

Thank you! I had just found the post to which you referred me and had come to add to my original post! I'm wondering if the mountain range mark was a later addition? Or just not always used.

At any rate, thank you very much for your response.

[davidross]

The mark that resembles "twin peaks" or a mountain range probably depicts crossed sickles.

This device usually appears above an artist's signature or the vertically-written name of a shop or a merchant, rather than below it (as here), and was very popular among 19th century woodblock publishers and the merchant class generally. I have a foggy recollection of the crossed sickles being a symbol of good fortune and prosperity, probably associated with a bountiful harvest, rice being equal to cash in premodern Japan.

I have not seen the crossed sickles device used by Nomura, but do not doubt that it is part of the original master's mark and not a later addition. The crossed sickles should not be taken as a trademark of Nomura or of any other maker, it is simply a felicitous sign, like a horseshoe in some Western cultures.

Thank you for posting an interesting variation of Nomura's mark.

Cheers
DR

[pewaukme]

Thanks again, David.

Your post:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24259&start=20

is fascinating in its view into the history of the sale and export of art in Japan. Nomura Yozo, the founder of Samurai Shokai, the "Tiffany's of the Orient", led a very interesting life, some of which is revealed in a book published in 1943 by John Patric, Why Japan Was Strong. After reading a long excerpt of this book, I ordered a used copy (signed by the author and a gift to Chief Justice Earl Warren of California). This book gives an invaluable look into life in pre WW2 Japan as it relates to causes and effects of that war. By the gently political nature of his writing, and the fact that Mr. Patric made it available to those in power in the US before the end of WW2, one wonders if there is any relationship to be found to the machinations ending that conflict.

As I am quite ignorant of this subject, my supposition may be naive in the extreme!

[davidross]

To give credit where credit is due, the information on Samurai Shokai in the Contributors' Notes was provided by Dognose (Trev).

You are quite right in suggesting that Nomura led a long and interesting life through trying times. He spoke English well, and had spent a year in the US as a young man. He was part of the Japanese delegation to the Parliament of World Religions held in Chicago in 1893 in conjunction with the World Columbian Exposition. He also traveled in Europe. This early experience with ecumenism and different cultures must have proved helpful in establishing Samurai Shokai as a successful business. Many Japanese of Nomura's generation were quite cosmopolitan and held progressive views, in sharp contrast with the predominant image of the younger generation of Japanese sent off to fight WWII.

In Japan, Nomura is primarily remembered as a hotelier. If Samurai Shokai has been mostly forgotten, the New Grand chain of Western-style hotels he helped build are to this day an institution. Nomura left behind an autobiography, Nomura Yozo den (loosely, "The Nomura Yozo Story") that was published in 1963. I believe there is only the Japanese edition of this work. The Yokohama New Grand, built in 1927 and where Nomura famously welcomed MacArthur in 1945, still stands today.

Regards
David R

[pewaukme]

This is the excerpt containing information about Nomura, hinting at his power and nature:

http://books.google.com/books?id=lUr0v_ ... CC0Q6AEwAA

I wish I could read Japanese!