JAPANESE PORCELAIN DINNER PLATES, 40 PCS.. DIA 10" Aqua blue enamel painted and floral pattern. Marked 'Made in Japan' on the underside. With 25 plates, 10 teacups. 3 teapots. 2 oval serving dishes.Property of the Lucia Zurkowski Trust, Bloomfield Hills, Mi.Comments from a kind contributor, Donald G. McCloud, Ph. D:Although these plates were made in Japan, they were made for export to Singapore or other locations in Southeast Asia. As export ware, they were aimed at the sub-culture of Chinese in Southeast Asia of which you and I spoke--Peranakan (or sometimes Baba) culture based in largely in Singapore, but also with centers Malacca and Penang in Malaysia, and Jakarta, Medan and Palembang in Sumatra, Indonesia. Chinese men were imported to work in Malayan tin mines, rubber plantations or other industries where they accumulated wealth and eventually chose local Malay or Indonesian wives. Over time, many in this group, taking advantage of every opportunity, accumulated significant wealth and demanded such items as the porcelain listed in the auction. While the plates were made in Japan, they were aimed for export to Singapore or other locations across Southeast Asia's Malacca Straits. Many of these Chinese men came to Southeast Asia as indentured laborers in the mid-19th century, but their propensity to save, invest and build meant that by early in the 20th century they were among the wealthiest people in the region. This, of course, offers an explanation as to why the Japanese would make export-ware for them to purchase. It would surely be an interesting story itself to know how/why a collection of Peranakan dinnerware made its way to Michigan!

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