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Noritake
Maker’s marks
Compare the lettering, symbols and layout with the mark on your piece.
The marks, up close
Noritake — Maple leaf Nippon mark
Identification details for Noritake — Maple leaf Nippon mark
The maple-leaf emblem identifies a Morimura backstamp. Examples occur in several printed colors, including green and blue. Match the leaf shape and the surrounding lettering, not the ink color alone.
Noritake — Rising sun Nippon mark
1911–1921
Identification details for Noritake — Rising sun Nippon mark
The rising-sun emblem sits between Hand Painted and Nippon. This export backstamp is also associated with Noritake’s Azalea pattern; the pattern name is not part of the mark shown here.
Noritake — M in wreath Nippon mark
1911–1921
Identification details for Noritake — M in wreath Nippon mark
The M refers to Morimura Brothers. The wreath surrounding it is the key distinction from the RC monogram and maple-leaf backstamps. Examples occur in more than one printed color.
![Noritake hand painted RC monogram Nippon mark. Lettering: Hand Painted / [RC monogram] / NIPPON.](https://www.heirloomsathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/noritake-hand-painted-monogram-nippon-mark.png)
Noritake — RC Nippon mark
Identification details for Noritake — RC Nippon mark
The central letters form an RC monogram, rather than the M used in the wreath mark. Hand Painted appears above it and Nippon below. Compare the letterforms as well as the wording when matching an example.
Identification guidance
Noritake porcelain can be identified through several hallmarks used during the Nippon era and later export periods. While no single mark can precisely date every piece, certain recurring marks are strongly associated with Morimura Brothers and early Noritake production.
Sources
- Donahue, Lou Ann. Noritake Collectibles. Wallace-Homestead Book Co., 1979, pp. 34, 69.
About the Maker
Noritake, founded near Nagoya, Japan, in 1904 as Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha, became one of Japan’s leading export porcelain manufacturers, known for its fine tableware and decorative ceramics.
