{"product_id":"vintage-1975-koransha-phalaenopsis-orchid-plate-set-of-5-arita-yaki","title":"Vintage 1975 Koransha Phalaenopsis Plate Set of 5 — Japanese Arita-yaki Porcelain Mid-Plates","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 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 \u003cstrong\u003e¥50,000 JPY\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eForm: 中皿 (chū-zara \/ mid-plate) — flat coupe-rim plate, 5-piece presentation set (五客揃)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMaterial: high-fired white porcelain (磁器) with hand-finished overglaze decoration\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePattern: 胡蝶蘭 (kochōran) — phalaenopsis \/ moth orchid, two-bloom + bud composition with yellow-green leaves and pink-red labellum detail\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eProduction year: 1975 (昭和50年 \/ Shōwa 50) — 51-year-old vintage\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eOriginal retail (1975 Takashimaya Kyoto Store): ¥50,000 JPY\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDiameter: ~16.7 cm (6.6\") per plate\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHeight (rim profile): ~1.8 cm (0.7\") per plate\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBox: original Koransha gift box ~35.9 × 18.5 × 5 cm (14.1\" × 7.3\" × 2.0\"), with bar-code label \u003ccode\u003e胡蝶蘭・中皿 W9104-JCS\u003c\/code\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFoot mark: green underglaze 香蘭社 (Koransha) mark with the orchid emblem, on the underside of every plate\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eIncluded 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\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMade by 香蘭社 (Koransha) \/ Arita-yaki in Saga Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Koransha (hakogaki-cited context)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKoransha (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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eUse \u0026amp; Care\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGifting \u0026amp; Presentation\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eShipping \u0026amp; Returns (Antique Line)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout ZenKiln\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e📦 Ships from Japan, hand-packed for safe delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47658955800806,"sku":"ZK-PLATE-KOR-001","price":330.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/DSC09075.webp?v=1778725158","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/products\/vintage-1975-koransha-phalaenopsis-orchid-plate-set-of-5-arita-yaki","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}