Type: Candlestick / Candle Holder
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Production Technique: Moulded & Hand-Painted
Style: Art Deco / Novelty Ware
Date of Creation: c. 1920s–1930s
Features: Hand Painted, Vintage Export Ware
Subject: Parrot / Bird
Region of Origin: Japan
Material: Glazed Ceramic
Size: Approx. 10 cm tall
A wonderfully vibrant vintage Japanese parrot candlestick, dating to the Art Deco era, and produced for export under the Maruhon Ware name. This charming piece features a brightly coloured parrot perched on a branch within a shallow dish, designed to hold a candle but also commonly used historically as a small bud vase or novelty decorative holder.
The bold palette of red, yellow, green, and turquoise glazes is characteristic of Japanese novelty ceramics made for Western markets during the interwar years. These playful designs brought colour and cheer into homes and are now highly collectible.
Marked to the base “Made in Japan” with the Maruhon “K” trademark and Patent No. 59944, confirming both origin and period manufacture.
Maruhon Ware was a well-known name used on decorative ceramics produced in Japan for export between the 1920s and early 1940s.
The circled “K” mark is widely attributed to a Maruhon division associated with Nippon Toki Kaisha (later Noritake), based in Nagoya. Maruhon Ware became especially popular during the Art Deco period, producing novelty items such as parrots, fish, fruit, and floral forms in richly coloured glazes inspired by European majolica.
The presence of “Made in Japan” (rather than “Occupied Japan”) dates this piece firmly pre-1945, most likely 1921–1941.
Circled “K” Mark: Maruhon Ware trademark
PAT. NO. 59944: Japanese design or utility patent protecting the mould
“Made in Japan”: Confirms export production between 1921–1941
These combined marks securely date the piece to the interwar Art Deco era.
Height: 10 cm
Base Diameter: approx. 10 cm
Vintage, used condition
Several small chips to the base rim (clearly shown in photos)
Light age-related wear consistent with long-term storage
Colours remain bright and attractive
No cracks or structural instability
Please review all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
Your item will be carefully packed, fully tracked and insured, and shipped with appropriate protection to ensure it arrives safely.
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