1928-1942 Noritake Sake Tea Cups Set of 13 and 39 similar items

This is a vintage set of 13 Chikaramachi Demitasse Cups dating from 1928 to 1941, pre WWII Japan. Chikaramachi, an early line of Noritake, was established in 1896 by the Morimura brothers. The very fine bone china was first stamped in 1912 and this set 's mark of a crown with a laurel wreath bearing the name "Chikaramachi" in a semi circle and "Hand-painted" and "Made in Japan" in red dates the cup between 1928 and the onset of World War II. I inherited this set from a lovely woman who was a missionary in Japan in the 1930s so I expect it dates to her stay in the country. These lovely, handpainted cups have a floral design in pink and green with gold leaf accents along a white backdrop. They were likely used as saki cups as well as imported to to England as small tea cups or demitasse cups. They are in excellent condition without breaks or cracks. The fine, porcelain cups measure about 2.5" tall and 2.25" wide.