Vintage Otagiri OMC Japan Arita-Style Imari Peacock Tea Set – Original Box – 5 Cups
Offered is a beautiful vintage Japanese porcelain tea set by Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC), featuring an exceptionally colorful and detailed peacock and floral Imari-style decoration.
This is a particularly attractive example of mid-century Japanese export porcelain and is being offered with its original blue-and-white striped presentation box and original protective cardboard cup inserts, which is an increasingly difficult feature to find with vintage Otagiri pieces.
The Set
The complete set includes:
1 large handled teapot with lid5 matching teacupsOriginal presentation/storage boxOriginal cardboard protective inserts for the cupsOriginal woven/rattan-style teapot handle
The teapot is generously proportioned and has an unusual and very attractive rounded form. The five cups carry the same coordinated decoration, making this a complete and visually impressive serving set.
Decoration
The decoration is the real star of this set.
The white porcelain ground is decorated with two elegant peacocks surrounded by an abundant garden of traditional Japanese flowers and foliage, including large red peony-like blossoms, orange chrysanthemums, white flowers, blue floral elements and extensive green foliage.
The peacocks are particularly detailed, with individually painted feathers and colorful blue, green and brown accents. Fine red painted lines and gold-tone accents add additional detail and give the set a much richer appearance than ordinary mass-produced Japanese tea ware.
The decoration wraps around the pieces rather than being confined to a single central image, so the set remains attractive from virtually every angle.
The teapot lid is also decorated, with floral motifs and a gold-tone rim, and the principal opening and rim of the teapot have additional gold-tone decoration.
Markings & Origin
The pieces carry the distinctive M.O.C. / Japan marking associated with Otagiri Mercantile Company, a well-known American importer and marketer of Japanese ceramics and giftware.
The original box is especially interesting and carries its original Japanese-language label as well as the Otagiri-associated packaging.
The decoration represents the traditional Arita/Imari porcelain tradition, characterized by highly colorful floral and bird motifs and elaborate Japanese decorative work.
This is a vintage Japanese export piece, rather than an antique Edo-period Imari service. Otagiri pieces of this type are collectible today for their distinctive mid-century Japanese craftsmanship, colorful designs and increasingly desirable original packaging.
Condition
The porcelain displays age-appropriate glaze crazing, visible throughout the pieces. This fine network of glaze lines is characteristic of older Japanese porcelain and is visible in the photographs.
The decoration remains remarkably attractive, with the vibrant colors and detailed peacock imagery still presenting beautifully.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as the photographs are an important part of the condition description. The original box also shows age and storage wear, as would be expected, but it is an important and desirable part of this offering.
There are no claims being made that this is a newly manufactured or flawless set — this is a vintage Japanese set with the character and evidence of age that collectors expect.
A Particularly Nice Feature
What makes this offering more interesting than a typical Otagiri tea set is the combination of completeness and original presentation.
You are not simply getting a loose vintage teapot and a few cups. The set retains its original presentation box, original protective packing pieces, matching five-cup service, original teapot lid and woven handle, providing a very good representation of how the set was originally sold.
For someone who collects Otagiri, Japanese export porcelain, Arita/Imari decoration, peacock-themed ceramics, or vintage Japanese tea services, this would make an especially attractive addition.
Please look carefully at all photographs. They are part of the description and show the actual set you will receive.
Related Items:
Vintage Otagiri Seagull Blue & White Glazed Coffee Mug VGC Speckled Inside
$14.00
Vtg 1970s Otagiri Japan Speckled Stoneware Floral Coffee Mugs Lot of 3
$29.85
Vintage Otagiri Stoneware Hand Painted White Flower Lidded Casserole Dish
$30.00
