Japanese Tableware Design Artistry

Hello from Pinot the Blog Dog!

Our Replacements, Ltd. showroom staff has already started preparations for our big Sidewalk Sale September 18-20, so if you live nearby (we're located just outside Greensboro, NC) or your travels to the beach or mountains are bringing you through, be sure to mark your calendars.  We'll have great deals on special sets from Lenox China and Johnson Brothers, and other big savings, too!  (Did I mention we have extra special pet bowls from a variety of patterns?)  We'll see you in September!

Watching as staff decides where to locate pallets on the sidewalk.

Here are some more interesting patterns from our inventory.  Each of these beautiful, high-quality dinnerware designs is produced by a Japanese manufacturer.

Noritake Sonoma Gardens is whiteware with grape clusters, cherries, and apples on the rim that spill onto the verge (where the center of the plate joins the rim).  Noritake, which excels in fruit and floral designs like Royal Orchard and Azalea, was founded in 1876 as "Morimura Brothers" by Baron Ichizaemon Morimura IV and Yutaka Morimura.  With offices in Tokyo and New York, the company exported curios, paper lanterns, and other items.  Visiting the Paris World Fair in 1900, the baron decided to produce fine dinnerware for export to the U.S. Noritake shipped its first china to the U.S. market in 1910.  After World War II (its exports to the U.S. had been cut off during the war years), Noritake focused on designs reflecting U.S. culture and design, and in 1948 Noritake ware again became available in the U.S.

 
Noritake Sonoma Gardens. 

Noritake Crystal Sweet Swirl-Lilac is elegant crystal with a swirled stem and curved panels on a convex bowl that flares at the top.  Noritake produces many crystal patterns designed to complement Noritake dinnerware. The company's crystal and glassware collection includes handmade, mouth-blown, and machine-made stems.  The Sweet Swirl pattern is emblematic of Noritake's success in the U.S. market.  Replacements, Ltd. currently has 16 variations of Sweet Swirl on file - colors range from black to lemon, from gray to light green, from amber to peach.  Sweet Swirl-Lilac was manufactured 1985-1988.  The most successful Sweet Swirl colors - clear, dark blue, light blue, and light green - were manufactured for two decades, 1985-2005.  In the highly competitive tableware market, many companies would enjoy emulating the success of Noritake Crystal!

 
Noritake Crystal Sweet Swirl-Lilac. 

Yamazaki Silver Old Denmark is high-quality, satin-finish stainless steel with round, sculpted handles featuring elegant ring designs.  The name of the pattern is no doubt a wink and a nod to Danish flatware manufacturers, who often employ broader tines in their forks, and give flared, non-traditional shapes to knife blades and spoons - design traits evident in Old Denmark.  This Yamazaki design is superbly made - a complement to a wide range of china and crystal.  From unique flatware patterns featuring sculpted handles with carefully finished tines, bowls and blades, to specialized serving pieces of generous size, each Yamazaki Silver pattern is designed to enhance both the appearance of the table setting and the enjoyment of the meal.  The company offers a wide range of stainless styles, from light-weight designs to heavier, more formal patterns, from glossy finishes to satin-finish designs.  Distinctive gold trim stainless designs are also available.

 
Yamazaki Silver Old Denmark.

Remember that you can always contact Ross and me by e-mailing at ross.howell@replacements.com.  Let us hear from you!  And be sure to visit our web site.  Talk to you again soon!

Pinot the Blog Dog