Design for a Sugar Bowl

This hand-painted design shows a porcelain sugar bowl by Noritake, the Japanese manufacturer with production facilities in New York. The piece features a mint-green body decorated with intricate geometric and floral patterns in dark blue, framing a central landscape scene rendered in soft watercolors. The pastoral composition—with a shoreline, tree, and atmospheric sky—exemplifies the Japonisme aesthetic that captivated Western markets in the late nineteenth century. The black handle provides bold contrast to the delicate ornamentation. Such design studies document the hybrid artistic practices of manufacturers serving both Japanese and American consumers during this period of expanding international trade.