A 1975 (昭和50年 / Shōwa 50) set of five Koransha (香蘭社) phalaenopsis-orchid plates — hand-finished porcelain mid-plates with a soft mint-celadon ground sweeping across each plate and meeting a clean white field, where the orchids bloom. Originally retailed at ¥50,000 JPY through Takashimaya Kyoto Store's 6F tableware floor in 1975 — a substantial outlay at a time when a graduate's monthly starting salary was around ¥85,000–90,000. The set comes with its full original presentation: the Koransha gift box, the bilingual maker hakogaki, the Koransha green logo card, and the Takashimaya お願い courtesy card.
Specifications
- Form: 中皿 (chū-zara / mid-plate) — flat coupe-rim plate, 5-piece presentation set (五客揃)
- Material: high-fired white porcelain (磁器) with hand-finished overglaze decoration
- Pattern: 胡蝶蘭 (kochōran) — phalaenopsis / moth orchid, two-bloom + bud composition with yellow-green leaves and pink-red labellum detail
- Production year: 1975 (昭和50年 / Shōwa 50) — 51-year-old vintage
- Original retail (1975 Takashimaya Kyoto Store): ¥50,000 JPY
- Diameter: ~16.7 cm (6.6") per plate
- Height (rim profile): ~1.8 cm (0.7") per plate
- Box: original Koransha gift box ~35.9 × 18.5 × 5 cm (14.1" × 7.3" × 2.0"), with bar-code label
胡蝶蘭・中皿 W9104-JCS
- Foot mark: green underglaze 香蘭社 (Koransha) mark with the orchid emblem, on the underside of every plate
- Included paper accessories: (1) bilingual Koransha "300 YEARS OF KORAN-SHA / 香蘭社のあゆみ" hakogaki pamphlet (2) Koransha green logo card with the orchid emblem (3) Takashimaya 京都店 お願い courtesy card from the 6F tableware floor
- Made by 香蘭社 (Koransha) / Arita-yaki in Saga Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln
About Koransha (hakogaki-cited context)
Koransha (香蘭社, "Orchid Group") traces its lineage to the eighth-generation Fukagawa potters of Arita, whose family had been firing porcelain in Saga for some three hundred years when Meiji-era restructuring opened the way for them to organize as an independent company in the 1870s. The bilingual hakogaki enclosed with this set narrates the early international recognition — the Grand Prix at the 1878 Paris International Exhibition, an honor at the United States 1876 exhibition, the Gold Medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition — and historically documented commissions placed with Koransha by the Imperial Household of Japan. The Koran-sha style was built by blending three of Japan's defining porcelain traditions, Old Imari, Nabeshima, and Kakiemon, into a single contemporary vocabulary. The phalaenopsis pattern in this set is one of the company's enduring botanical designs, named for the moth-orchid that takes its name in Japanese, 胡蝶蘭 (kochōran), from the resemblance to a butterfly in flight. By 1975, when this particular set was retailed through Takashimaya Kyoto Store's 6F tableware floor at ¥50,000, Koransha's pattern range had become a fixed reference within Japanese department-store gift culture — the 5-piece (五客揃) format was the traditional milestone-celebration gift unit.
Use & Care
A mid-plate (中皿) at 16.7 cm sits squarely in the dessert / wagashi / appetizer / canapé band. Per the Koransha care card included with this set: hand-wash with mild detergent and a soft cloth or sponge; metal utensils and abrasive cleansers can scratch the porcelain surface; oven-use is restricted to items specifically marked as oven-ware (this plate is not so marked); avoid sudden temperature change.
Gifting & Presentation
The 五客揃 (5-piece set) is Japan's standard hospitality-and-gift presentation unit — one plate per guest, ready for a dinner party, a tea-gathering wagashi course, or a milestone celebration. Phalaenopsis is the most prestigious gift-flower in modern Japan, associated with elegance and congratulations; the pattern's traditional pairings are wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, housewarming, retirement, and Father's Day. The full original Koransha + Takashimaya presentation makes this a ready-to-give heritage set.
Shipping & Returns (Antique Line)
This is a one-of-one estate set. We do not accept returns on antique-line listings; all condition details and the maker's documentation are disclosed above and in the photos. Please ask any questions before purchase — we are happy to send additional photos of any plate or paper accessory.
About ZenKiln
A Japan-based curator connecting international collectors with Japan's artisan ceramic tradition. We work closely with the kilns, workshops, and makers featured in our shop — each one disclosed in our About section — and hand-pack every piece in Japan for safe delivery worldwide.
📦 Ships from Japan, hand-packed for safe delivery.
