Noritake Wall Pocket

Q:  This Japanese wall vase was given to my mother as a wedding gift in 1926. It’s 9 inches high. I’ll be giving it to my daughter and would like her to know the history. Can you give me any information? 

A:  This is a Noritake wall pocket. Noritake was made after 1904 by Nippon Toki Kaisha, a company in Japan. This mark was registered in 1918 and used until about 1940. The “M” stands for Morimura Brothers, a distributing company in New York City. Noritake’s porcelain vases, dresser sets, smoke sets, figurines and other “fancyware” with Art Deco designs and luster glazes were made from about 1925 to 1931. They are very collectible and large vases with elaborate decoration sell for hundreds of dollars.