Noritake Nippon Toki Kaisha Tortoise & Hare Mamezara Plate 1907-1940

EUC Excellent Used Condition No chips cracks or crazing **this particular backstamp was used between 1907 and 1940 This is a Japanese "mamezara" (small dish) featuring a depiction of a turtle and a rabbit, which are characters from the Japanese folk tale "The Tortoise and the Hare." The dish also has Japanese text written on it. The dish is a type of small plate known as a "mamezara" (literally "bean plate"). The text on the dish, "yudan taiteki" (ゆだんたいてき), is a Japanese proverb that means "carelessness is a great enemy" or "overconfidence can be your greatest foe." Noritake, a Japanese company that began producing Western-style tableware in the early 1900s. "Nippon" is a term for Japan, and this mark was used on items exported to Western markets between 1891 and 1921, a period often referred to as the "Nippon-era". The "RC" mark stands for "Royal Crockery," which was used by Noritake on some of its wares