Squat, scalloped Ucagco porcelain shakers with gilded domed tops and black-and-gold clover sprays — a small, old-fashioned pair that still has its cork stoppers.
Maker: Ucagco
Materials: Dense opaque porcelain, gilded tops, black and gold clover decoration
Dimensions: Each approx. 2 inches Tall, 2⅛ inches in Diameter (at their widest point)
Origin: Japan
Era: Vintage, circa 1940s–1950s (estimated)
Condition: Very Good. Slight wear to the gold on both tops; a small piece of the clover design is missing on one shaker (photographed). Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.
Each shaker has a rounded, ribbed body topped with a gold-painted dome and a ringed neck, with a spray of black and gold clover on the front and a smaller spray around the shoulder. The porcelain is dense and opaque. One top has 5 holes and the other 3; the 3-hole shaker is likely the pepper. The shakers are filled through the bottom, closed with a cork stopper. These shakers carry no mark of their own, but this exact shape turns up in several different decorations with a Ucagco Ceramics Japan foil sticker, which is the basis for attributing and dating this set. The two are close but not identical, as expected with older pieces.
A charming pair for a collector of gilded porcelain or Japanese export ceramics, a vintage table setting, or a lucky touch for a St. Patrick's Day table.
Ucagco was the trade name of the United China & Glass Co., an American importer with offices in New York and New Orleans whose roots go back to 1850. The UCAGCO mark dates from the 1930s, and after World War II the company imported gift wares and dinnerware from Japan well into the 1950s. It worked with a number of Japanese potteries, so a Ucagco sticker names the importer, not a single factory.
Browse our shop for more vintage salt and pepper shakers to round out your collection.
