2021 (40th) Annual INCC Convention Report
Again, due to COVID, this was a Facebook Event
2016 (35th) INCC Convention Report
The 35th Annual INCC Convention was a huge success. It was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cary, North Carolina. Cary, located in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle Park area, is a lovely community. Several shopping malls and restaurants were within walking distance of the hotel.
Embassy Suites Hotels feature a large atrium in a central lobby.Every morning guest could feast on a complementary buffet breakfast bar. There was a plethora of choices to make everyone happy. In the evening the hotel provided a "happy hour" with a delicious array of snick-snacks and cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks and a wonderful venue where members were able to gather and chat and get acquainted. The club also held a hospitality suite luncheon buffet on Thursday that was hosted by board members Carol and Jerry Service. We feasted on pulled pork barbecue sandwiches and a fantastic array of finger foods and then finished it off with delicious huge cookies for dessert.
The convention programs were varied but al centered around the "Nippon Garden Theme." One program featured Werner's that members brought from their collections. Another featured oddities an rarities in the Nippon garden theme. There was also a best of show program. Categories were assigned and the winner of each category competed for the "Best of Show" honor. Ribbons were give and fun was had by all. The winner of the "Best of Show" was a large cobalt and bold urn the featured orchids - stunning!
We had a program on Bonsai. Harold Johnson, a Bonsai master with the Triagnle Bonsai Club, shared a power point showing examples of Bonsai and brought some of his own creations to dazzle us with. He told us that the art of Bonsai lives between the mind and the heart. He was an engaging speaker and his creations were beautiful. Several club members got to visit the Japanese/Asian gardens at the Raulston Arboretum. Volunteers from the Arboretum gave a tour and explained various plantings.
The Triangle Taiko Drummers came to entertain on Thursday evening. This was a young ensemble composed of both men and women. They presented their drums and then proceeded to demonstrate "drum magic." The program was loud, vigorous and amazing. The physical strength required to play these drums is considerable yet some of the drummers were small women, They gave us a grand show. This show was followed by our club buffet dinner and club fundraiser, the silent auction.
To add to the fun, there was the ever popular NIPPON BINGO. The cards feature Nippon themes. The bingo games give the winners a chance to get a gift certificate from the club to use for in room buying. No one wanted to miss the bingo!!
After every day's festivities, there was ample opportunity to do in room buying or just plain socializing.
Finally on the last day of the convention the Nippon auction happened. The auction featured over 450 items of Nippon and these were spread out on six foot tables that were filled two hotel conference rooms. It was literally a sea of Nippon. The scene was breathtaking. Items offered for sale ranged from the beautiful to the spectacular. There was something for everyone at that auction. The auctioneer was professional and moved quickly to get items sold. His staff maned phone and internet bites. Lunch was provided.
After the auction the members attended a banquet that featured salmon, chicken, or filet mignon, salad, vegetables, and cheesecake. Excellent food! Raffle tickets were given out and prizes were ample. The prizes ranged from books on Nippon, to kimonos, obis, and even free registration for next year's convention!! Florists had made arrangements in donated Nippon vases and one lucky person at each table got to keep the arrangement.
For three magical days convention attendees got to immerse themselves in Nippon, learn a little about Japanese gardens, play bingo, and share experiences with other ninon lovers. The convention was definitely worthy of attendance. You will not hunger for good food or good company. Please join us next year in Ohio.
2015 (34th) INCC Convention Report - I Get a Kick Out of Nippon!
The convention began with welcoming first time attendees. We had several attending for the first time. This was followed by the General Membership Meeting. Nippon Bingo was introduced as a new game where members could win cash prizes to spend at the convention - it was a big hit.
New Attendees
2015 INCC Board at General Meeting
The 2015 INCC Convention included wonderful programs on restorations by Wiebold Studio, Kentucky bourbon, a display of Rarities and Oddities, a display of Nancy's wonderful Nippon boxes, and a visit from that famous Road Show Scholar who looks so much like Jeff, but could it be? Many members also toured the Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm - wonderful!
And then, there was a lot of socializing...
And, of course, there is no better auction of Nippon wares, than the Annual INCC Auction. Here is a preview of some items.
2014 INCC Convention Report
The 2014 INCC Convention kicked off with Dick Bittner introducing first time attendees.
1st Time Attendees
We were then transport-ed, via video, to The Land of The Rising Sun for an enchanting tour of Japan. We visited cities and gar-dens; temples and moun-tains. A very inviting tour it was!
Ikebana Flower Arranging
Then we were treated to Haruyo Nakamura's display of Ikebana or Japanese flower arranging. Her training and talent became quite evident as one watched her assemblage of numerous compositions. She combined a variety of colored blooms, as well as local twigs and vegetation from nearby, to form her graceful creations for vases of different shapes and sizes.
Hospitality
Time for lunch with Japanese snacks in the Hospitality Room, where a good time was had by all!
Emiko-History of Japanese Porcelain
With stomachs full, we were ready to be entertained by Emiko Takeuchi's delightful presentation of History of Japanese Porcelain.
Silk & Old Noritake
Next was Tomo Takeuchi and his program, based on his new book: Silk and Old Noritake. Very much history was made available to absorb from both Emiko and Tomo.
Calligraphy with a Master Calligrapher
The final item on Thursday's agenda featured Master Calligrapher, Masahiko Koyama. The attendees were divided into separate groups. Mr. Koyama was assisted by our very capable Japanese contingent, including Yoko Koyama, Haruyo Nakamura, Hisashi Nakamura, Emiko Takeuchi, Ayane Takeuchi, Daiki Takeuchi, and, yes, even Tomo Takeuchi. We were each in turn shown how to write our name in Japanese.
Then, having been given our own rice paper, we (tried) to recreate our name as instructed. Mr. Koyama was very generous with his talent throughout the convention. He created appropriate calligraphy to accompany Ms. Nakamura's lovely arrangements. He also did calligraphy during the Manager's Reception for those fortunate to be in his presence.
Banquet
The Saturday Banquet was the final "official" event of the 2014 INCC Convention.
2013 Convention Summary
Our Convention theme this year was based on Native American Indians depicted on our Nippon porcelain. Our first scheduled speaker, Dr. Christine Ballengee-Morris was to speak to this theme.
However, due to unfortunate automobile problems, she was unable to show up. Linda Lau stepped in to save the day. Her talk was scheduled to appear second on the program, but she was ready. Linda spoke about the American Indians as they were pictured on many Nippon pieces. Many different types of Nippon depict Indians including plaques, humidors, vases and various sets for the table. She showed us pictures of the Chiefs that were portrayed and told us something about each one. She also discussed the famous paintings that were reproduced on Nippon pieces such as Remington's "Coming to the Call" and "Shadow at the Waterhole." There was also Wyeth's "In the Crystal Depths" and "The Hunter".
After lunch, guest speaker, Dr Richard Torrance presented "Cultural Interactions between the West and Japan, in documentary film: 1890's to 1920's using the old black and white films. Dr. Torrance told us about the industrialization of Japan and Japan's move toward Westernization. There was a lot of interesting information to absorb and the films were fascinating.
Our next guest speaker was Harry Rinker, a very well-known expert and author on the field of antiques. The title of his talk was "What's Going to Happen to My Stuff When I die? (Planning for the Future)." Although the title sounded beyond ominous, his talk was both informative and (thankfully amusing. He spoke about estate planning and the possible fate of your collection. As collector's age, the things that people collect change. The clubs which collectors form, like ours, decline in membership. That is why it is important to constantly attract new collectors. He encouraged us to allow our grandchildren to hold our Nippon items so that they might have the opportunity to develop an appreciation of them and hopefully develop a connection to them. Mr Rinker also discussed auctions as a way of disposing of collections. All in all, although it was an amusing talk about a very sad subject.
Our dinner that night was a varied and delicious buffet. Dinner was followed by the traditional "Ugly Contest" and an auction of some Nippon-related items. After all of this, as is our custom, we all trooped back to each other's rooms to look and (maybe) buy.
Friday morning, it was time for Harry Rinker to speak again. This time his topic was "The Traditional Collector vs. the 21st Century Collector: What Will the Future of Collecting Be Like?" This was a more upbeat and very informative talk. He discussed how attitudes toward antiques have changed since World War Two. No longer did collections have to be 100 years old to be considered. TV changed our lives; the 60s changed our lives; new inventions changed our lives. Collecting memory has the biggest impact at ages 10 to 25 as one creates nostalgia about happy times. Now, there is a longer time between generations, family ties get broken along with ties to the past. New priorities have appeared for one's disposable income and people are not necessarily spending for antiques. This generation believes in buy it, use it, and throw it out. They don't expect things to last and they look to the future and not the past. The antiques market has now changed, he told us. People want to use things that they buy. Only 25% of buyers are collectors and 50-60% are decorators. The new trend-setters are Martha Stewart and Oprah, among others. Young collectors are trendy, don't like the hunt (hence, Ebay) and want instant satisfaction. He concluded by saying that nobody needs our stuff - we have to sell the passion and the enthusiasm for collecting.
Dr. Ballengee-Morris resolved her car trouble and arrived to present the next program. The title was "Native Americans Depicted in American Art... 1890-1920". She gave us some background on herself and the history of Native Americans at this time period. We saw some works by George Cotlin, a prolific painter of American Indian Life. Charles Russell was another artist whose works we viewed. Frederick Remington was probably the most famous of the Western artists. His works romanticized the Old West. We also learned about more modern art forms through which Native Americans satisfy the tourist market including pots, blankets, jewelry and baskets. Dr. Ballengee-Morris urged us to visit the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
The next presenter was our own Tom Sarkus who spoke on, and displayed postcards of Japan. Some of these were quite old and all were very interesting. There were historical pictures and some of the modern day. Included among the subjects were Mt. Fuji, the Feast of Dolls, and Geishas.
The general meeting followed.
Our convention in 2014 will be in Cleveland, Ohio from July 30
to August 2. In 2015, we will be in Lexington, Kentucky. Tomo
reminded us that for next year's Convention, we must all learn to speak Japanese.
2013 INCC Auction Report
Bright and early Saturday morning, the auction check-in began. After the preview, we settled down in earnest for our auction. Thanks to Maria Letizia and Rella Jean Clock, our hardworking auction chairwomen, everything ran smoothly. Jim Wroda and his staff, aided and abetted by the INCC busy bees, produced our best auction yet.
Among the items sold, both in-house and over the internet, were:
Pretzel-handled vase with flowers
- $160; Fish set, Molded in Relief
- $275; Pitcher with Halloween scene - $260; Lamp vase with cows - $1,700; Portrait Plaque - $200; 13.5 inch vase with Texas Rose - $310; Cobalt trim bowl with Man on Camel - $120; 20 inch urn with Gondola scene - $1,100; 24 inch urn with Swan scene - $6,750; Moriage swan vase - $725; Bolted vase with swans in flight -$1,000; Moriage Ewer - $375; Cobalt vase with orchids - $475; Moriage flying geese tankard and 5 mugs
- $3,000; Molded horse plaque
- $475; Silver overlay & cobalt demi-tasse pot -$700; tea set with roses - $675; Christmas deer tankard and 4 mugs - $950; 7 inch Coralene vase - $1,100; 13.75 vase with roses - $525;
- cardinal humidor - $900; Ferner with jeweled butterflies -$175; Coralene portrait plaque - $300.
This is just a small sampling of the goodies our 2013 auction had to offer.
Saturday night brought the final banquet dinner. The food was fine. The raffles and auction prizes were exceptional. The afghan, once again hand-made and contributed by our very dear Gloria Addison (Gloria, we miss you and Bruce) was won by... tada.. Marie Latizia.
Another successful INCC Convention concluded.
See you next year in Cleveland.
Learn Japanese.
Greenville, South Carolina
Our convention was held at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, South Carolina and a peach of a convention it was. We began Thursday morning with the General Meeting and the introduction of our first timers.
Our President, Tom Sarkus introduced the officers and led the discussion of the various functions of the club. We discussed the budget, the convention locations, the Journal, our INCC website, the new E-News, our facebook page and membership.
Next on the agenda was a program entitled “Nothing Can Be Finer Than Nippon in South Carolina” presented by Joan Van Patten and myself. Using pictures of appropriate Nippon as examples, we discussed the various attractions that South Carolina has to 
Linda Lau was on next. Her program was “Very Victorian” and she was costumed to match the era. She showed us many examples of Nippon and other bric-a-brac that typified the Victorians’ love of ornate decoration. She even included old ads and pieces which they portrayed.
Thursday night’s dinner concluded with the annual Ugly Contest. This always brings a great deal of merriment along with some money for the club’s treasury. We also had an auction of some fabulous Japanese articles, which were generously donated by our members. Included were Men’s Kimono jackets, an obi, a bento box, a necklace made from shards of a piece of broken Nippon and a kimono.
On Friday morning, Tomo Takeuchi revealed the discovery of an Old Noritake design book. It contained original watercolors for porcelain artists to copy. He told us the story of how he bought the book and displayed pictures from the book that matched known Nippon pieces.
Blaine Moore was the presenter of our next program, “Nippon Toothpick Holders”. He told us that toothpick holders were first used around the 1880s. The Nippon ones have many different types of decor, although moriage is quite rare. He likes to collect toothpick holders with different Nippon backstamps.
Nippon rarities and oddities came next. Many beautiful and rare pieces were on display.
The final program of the day was the “Nippon Road Show”. It was a good thing that this was the final program because we all ended up laughing so hard that nothing could have followed it. Jeff Mattison, in costume and bedraggled wig, was the host. He belittled and teased the unfortunate volunteers who brought up pieces for his appraisal. I was laughing too hard to take notes. You had to be there!
Saturday morning brought the auction. You’ll find some of the results in a separate article. The Saturday night banquet was held outdoors, under a tent. For those of us who like hot weather, it was ideal. There were many raffle prizes and some games of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ for more prizes. Finally, there CONVENTION – 2012 By Judith Boyd INCC JOURNAL 5 was the raffle for Gloria Addison’s magnificent, handmade afghan. The winner was Joe Tunnell.
We ate lots of peaches and had a wonderful time. Hope to see you all next year.
Jim Wroda, once again, provided a magnificent auction experience for our convention. This year, for the first time, our auction was also on his web site, which brought in buyers from all over the world. We had on-line bidding from Canada, England, Germany and Japan. In addition to the many purchases made in the auction room, bidders from 6 other states made purchases online. “Those states were: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As you may surmise, the internet definitely added to our bottom line.
Many thanks are due to our Chairwomen — Rella Clock and Marie Letizia — and heir tireless committee. Without these volunteers, our auction would not be possible.
Here are a few examples of the items sold and the prices realized: Lavender Wedgewood Moriage Cream and Sugar – $175; Cobalt Portrait vase, Woman holding flowers – $500; Farm scene vase – $140; Floral 7 piece berry set – $225; Bolted 12 ½ inch vase with lake scene – $500; 21 piece child’s tea set – $115; 8 inch tapestry vase with peaches – $1400; Vase with Moriage flying swans – $625; Hunt scene hatpin holder – $85; Scenic coralene plaque – $1600; Beaded Humidor – $550; Christmas Deer tankard – $600; Pretzel handled floral and gold vase – $350; Bolted Urn with swans on lake – $1150; Hunt scene Whiskey Jug – $400; 6 inch cobalt and gold ewer with Mountain scene – $325; Perfume bottle with violets – $155; 15 inch mountain scene bolted urn with lid – $1200; Blown-out walnut nut bowl – $85; Swan scene tapestry vase – $700.
By Susan West
I was lucky enough to have been able to attend the INCC convention again this year. In case you couldn’t go, it was held in the Greenville, SC Embassy Suites, and of course breakfast and Happy Hour drinks were free every day. Wish I could say the same for the Nippon. I had promised myself that I would refrain from overspending, and I guess I partially succeeded since I only spent about a third of what I did last year – but if you knew how much that was, you would know that I am not exactly the most frugal collector.
We had a great program consisting of many seminars. And of course, there was all that in-room buying -lots and lots of buying … But by far the most hilarious feature hands down was the “Nippon Road Show’” hosted by our very own Jeff Mattison and complemented by some very talented participating INCC members who brought Nippon items for his -very frank -appraisal. Although he appeared to be in drag as a pony-tailed Antiques Roadshow appraiser, I think Jeff was channeling Johnny Carson that day, because despite the pony-tailed Wig and oddly shifting abdomen he seemed to have the relaxed demeanor and low key humor of the former low-key TV host. But then Jeff is always low-key and relaxed, isn’t he? I know that when he tried his hand at the very energetic Taiko Drum playing last year, he somehow managed to look relaxed through that as well. I believe that Jeff is the only person in the world who could make such an energetic form of performing look relaxing -but then he always seems to be relaxed, doesn’t he? Actually, I’m convinced he would seem relaxed during a fouralarm fire. Anyway, the road show was a big hit. I laughed so hard I almost fell over. There was a general consensus that we’d all love to see the “Nippon Road Show” make a repeat appearance at another convention.
We were again fortunate to have a raffle of some very wonderful items including the very beautiful afghan. We also had auctions of genuine Japanese Kimonos, donated to the INCC by Tomo. He also reproduced for us some pages from the fabulous original book of Nippon artist’s samples he recently acquired. I eagerly bought some. Sure beat Walmart prints, don’t they? Thank you so much, Tomo, for everything you do!
And of course, there was “The” Nippon auction, and it had so many wonderful items this year. It included online bidding for the first time and was a huge success. You know, our auctioneer Jim Wroda is very talented at eliciting bids -maybe a little bit too much. As a matter of fact, I am very suspicious that he is actually a hypnotist. He definitely made me buy a lot of stuff! I think we should look into this…
My own, Dave Frazier, had to work and couldn’t attend again this year. I did however bring with me for the second time a recent recruit to the INCC and Dixieland chapter, Mary Jane (MJ) Surina. I’m happy to report to you even though she’s a relative newbie at this, I have managed to infect her with a good case of infatuation with Nippon – so much so that she too bought a number of items. Of course, I heartily encouraged her to loosen up on her wallet! Prior to knowing me, I don’t think MJ had ever bought an antique in her life. As a matter of fact, I’ve made many converts in addition to MJ. I just show them some items in my house, take them with me to shows or auctions or yard sales, and next you know, they’re cashing in their 401-ks to buy antique porcelains. Ah, sweet success! “Rarities”
Cary, North Carolina
This year’s INCC convention was held at the Embassy Suites in Cary, North Carolina. Thursday morning, we began with a general meeting, hosted by your INCC board. The board members were introduced, convention schedule reviewed and reports were made by various committees. This year, we were fortunate to have 12 first-time attendees.
They included:
Judy Cody
Blaine and Elizabeth Moore
David and Georgia Piper
Mary Surina
Adele and Jacob Essig and
Catherine Coburn.
There was a discussion, based on the report of our new Strategic Planning Committee. We are making an effort to sustain our club in these difficult economic times. Many suggestions were made and will be followed up. It was decided that the “INCC Journal” will go to 2 copies a year and an online newsletter will appear every other month to keep our lines of communication open. Please consult our website for additional, exciting online offerings for members.
Bob Schoenherr announced that our next convention will be held at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, SC beginning on 7/26/12. In 2013, we will be returning to Columbus, Ohio.
Jeff Mattison, our President, requested volunteers for the committees that we are forming. As everyone knows, the board can’t do it alone.
After the meeting adjourned, the Hospitality room was opened for snacks and 
Our next program was presented by Ben Owen, a well-known North Carolina potter. Mr. Owen is the sixth generation of potters operating the same kiln. He spoke of his interest in Japanese pottery and how he has designed vases that were inspired by antique Japanese pottery. He told us about the abundance of good clay in North Carolina and that over 80 potters were working in the Seagrove area, where he is located. After college, Mr. Owen studied in Japan, where he was impressed and inspired by the Japanese simplicity in form and design. We were treated to many examples of his pottery, highlighting form, glazes and design.
The always-popular Rarities program followed. New members Jake and Adele Essig displayed a tea set with scenes of pre-earthquake San Francisco. Each piece contained a different scene.
Jeff Mattison showed an egg cup with a rabbit playing an instrument. This was obviously for a child and quite adorable.
Blaine Moore, another new member, showed his toothpick holder collection, which included many different marks. Tomo was kind enough to explain several of the unusual Japanese marks.
Scott Johnson shared his ashtray, which had a rather frightening devil painted inside. He also aroused considerable envy with his 14″
blown-out plaque depicting a group of Arabs holding rifles, his large moriage-decorated tankard with a Cardinal pictured and a 24″ cobalt palace urn with swans.
Jeff then showed his very rare figural owl lamp with an actual Nippon shade (pictured on the cover of this journal).
Linda Lau showed a Baby Ella “Famous” doll, which was modeled after a Kessner boy doll. It was all original, in the original box with the original price tag of $7.50. I was the next person to display a few rarities. I had a pen tray and inkwell in the hunt scene pattern and a ferner with lions on it which were done all in gold. Jerry Service showed his nail file, obviously part of a manicure set, with a very fancy moriage handle.
Mary Lou Robinson brought a nappy with a decal which proclaimed “Fair Week, Bridgeport Ct, 1912″.
Doris Myers had a bowl with the goggle-eyed (sometimes called Campbell kid) boy. This boy was wearing a black coat, as opposed to the green coat we always see. Dick Bittner had a 10″ wall plaque with a scene surrounded by beautiful moriage Wisteria.
Nat Goldstein had a sardine dish, a lovely plaque with moriage flowers and a ferner which contained the hard-to-find metal insert.
Finally, Jennifer Cavedo blew us all away with her cobalt vase, heavily decorated with silver overlay.
Following the cocktail hour and, of course, more room shopping, it was time for the Triangle Taiko Drum Group. We really didn’t know what to expect – anything from Beatniks playing Bongos to a full-out marching band. Imagine our delight when 7 people showed up with traditional Japanese drums – and even dressed in Japanese garments! They explained that their big drums were made from wine barrels and played a number of songs, which had everyone clapping and toe-tapping. Our members were able to participate. Tomo gave a most credible performance and then Jeff, Dick and Bob gave it a good shot. What a nice, fun-filled surprise the drum group was!
The Thursday Buffet Dinner was very enjoyable as we all ate and chatted. After dinner, the Ugly Contest and Auction was held. Nat Goldstein’s entry was a topless powder box; Judy Cody contributed a wall pocket; Jennifer Cavedo had a condiment set; Doris Myers came up with a phoenix vase and Jeff Mattison produced an unattractive, soft paste vase with a rooster decoration. The winner was determined by an applause vote and it was the wall pocket. All the items were then auctioned off and the wall pocket’s new owner contributed $102 for our treasury.
Jim Wroda, with help from his wife Lori and son Matthew, was our auctioneer on Friday morning. 144 pieces were auctioned off.
Some of them were:
Vase with gold dots – $150 Tiny Coralene and Cobalt Vase – $275
Small coralene vase with cobalt handles – $525 Vase with Moriage flying swans- $975
Flowered Whiskey Jug – $275 Scenic Vase – $120
14″ large floral vase – $825 Demitasse set with metal base – $225
Portrait Wall Pocket – $175 24″ vase with flowers – $950
Wedgwood Vase – $425 Huge Bolted Urn and Lid with much Gold – $2300
Scenic Vase with pretty handles – $200 Portrait vase – $800
Moriage Squirrel Humidor, unmarked – $325 Pitcher with heavy applied enamel – $240
Hunt Scene Tankard – $410 Punch set with 8 cups – $1400
Cobalt Vase with raised Gold – $875 Coralene basket – $225
Covered jar with swans – $450 Child’s teaset – $160
Humidor with blown-out owls – $750 8″ coralene vase with cobalt trim – $1800
Scenic Tapestry Vase – $1850 Green ferner with gold butterflies – $225
Perfume bottle – $100 Vase dripping gold and jewels – $575
And many, many other pieces of various shapes, sizes and prices. Marie Letizia and Rella Clock were our chairwomen this year and did a masterful job.
Saturday morning, after our bountiful buffet breakfast, we headed into the meeting room to hear some wonderful, personal Nippon stories.
First up was Doris Myers who told of an amazing coincidence. Upon her retirement, her workmates wished to give her a special present and they knew that she loved Nippon. So, they went to the Antique Trader and purchased a whiskey jug from INCC member Myrtle Drew.
Nancy Miller told of a time when she was newly married and (like most newly-weds) quite broke. She saw a beautiful Nippon square box decorated with Iris flowers, but she just didn’t have the $40 to buy it. Now, she would be more than willing to buy it, for the same $40.
Mary Margret Pyle discussed a bowl that nobody else in her family liked, but she knew it was made in the Nippon era. Tomo agreed with her.
David Piper, a new member from Nova Scotia, had a Gouda-patterned handled bowl that he worried was a reproduction. He was happy to find out at the convention that it definitely is not a fake.
A short discussion of Nippon reproductions followed his happy ending tale. Lenny Taylor and Jerry Service also regaled us with some interesting Nippon stories. Audrey Eklund had pictures to illustrate her remarks about her Queen Louise urn, blown-out Indian bookends and some other pieces.
Dick Bittner related how unhappy he had been when his Nippon hatpin holder got lost in a household move. Then, luckily, it turned up again. Later, not so luckily, he found out that it was a reproduction.
Jeff Mattison bought what he called a ‘plain Jane scene’ vase in an estate sale in 1978. Although it was plain, he loved the pattern and every time he finds a piece, he buys it.
Tomo Takeuchi told of meeting a man, in a shop in Japan, who was buying pieces for the Noritake museum. Tomo bought a collection of bowls and small vases from him. Susan West bought a huge set at a show in Northern Virginia for $400 and then got a $100 discount for purchasing other pieces.
Nat Goldstein related the story of how he, Rhonda and I went on a long ride to New Jersey to see some lady’s fabulous collection, which she wanted to sell. When we got there, we discovered they were all fakes. When we tried to convince her of that fact, she was in total denial and threw us all out of her house.
Jeff added a sad story about a coralene plaque that he ordered by mail. It arrived broken.
Linda Lau went shopping with her sister because her sister wanted to purchase a particular desk. On top of the desk, Linda saw a 24″ palace vase decorated in Cobalt and Roses, which she was lucky enough to buy.
Our next program was called Nippon Artistry – Sources Discovered”, always an interesting topic. Jeff Mattison explained that the designers of our Japanese porcelain needed to know what would appeal to Western tastes. So, they took their influences from many sources. Jean Francois Millet was a well-known artist. His painting “The Gleaners” and some of his other paintings of French peasants are portrayed on a number of pieces. Jeff also found the painting on which our Moose plaque is based at an auction. Herbert Thomas Dicksee painted animals similar to the Lion Face Plaque, the Bulldog plaque and the Lion and Lioness Plaque. There were many other artists mentioned whose work was directly connected with the Nippon artists.
The afternoon session began with a presentation by the Strategic Planning committee and general discussion of our future plans. Many ideas were presented to help increase the membership of the INCC. The communication between members was discussed. Because the “Journal” has now been limited to two issues a year, Linda Lau will establish a Facebook page to further our communications . There were also suggestions about opening the auction to the general public, but this involves many problems, which will be looked into.
Our last program was “Native American Indians on Nippon Porcelain”, developed by Brian Larson, who unfortunately was unable to attend. Jeff Mattison did an excellent job of narrating this interesting presentation. Many aspects of the wide variety of Native American scenes, available to Nippon collectors, were shown and explained.
Saturday night brought our gala banquet. The food and drink were quite good and topped off by a special 30th Anniversary cake! As usual, many desirable prizes were raffled off and, this year, some were even sold. We even got to play “rock, paper, scissors” with Tomo once again. The beautiful kimonos, obis and other Nippon -themed items were donated by our generous members. The evening was topped off by the raffle for Gloria Addison’s magnificent afghan. Judy Cody, a first-time attendee, was the lucky winner. We hope this will bring her, and all of you, back for next year’s convention.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!
Although the INCC convention traditionally starts on Thursday morning, the official board meeting is held on Wednesday afternoon. After the cocktail hour, the Hospitality Suite opened for early registration, joyous reunions, Nippon chit-chat and snacks. The Dixieland Club, as usual, hosted an extremely sumptuous buffet. Totally sated, we then headed out to each other’s rooms for buying, selling and lots more talk of Nippon.
Thursday morning brought our General Meeting and a brief orientation for our four first-timers. Dick Bittner ran this meeting with his usual efficiency. The decisions that were made at the board meeting were introduced and discussed. All the present board members were introduced and the results of the election were announced. Jeff Mattison, our present President-Elect, will be President next year. Tom Sarkus will be President-Elect and follow him in 2012. Lisa Thomka will be Vice-President and Rella Clock and Marie Latizio will be the two new directors, succeeding Cheri and Bob Zangmeister, who will become Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
The 2011 convention will be held in Carey, North Carolina. We have been to that Embassy Suites before and it was quite comfortable. The following year, we will try a new venue – Greenville, South Carolina. Bob Schoenherr, as usual, did a masterful job of obtaining the best possible arrangements for us.
the meeting, the Hospitality Suite was once again open. A lot of chatting and chewing went on there.
Thursday afternoon, Jeff Mattison presented a program based on three of the earliest publications concerning Nippon. These were all spiral-bound, soft-covered books, that the early collectors delightedly snatched off the shelves. They were all published in the early 1970’s and contained varied amounts of information (and misinformation), but lots of pictures.
The Lima book had its highest priced vase on the cover …. a whopping $150.00. We may laugh now, but in the 70’s that was quite a stretch for collectors. This book noted 51 Nippon marks and did have a price guide. Jeff read some interesting tidbits from the price guide to us.
The next book was the Robinson book, subtitled ‘Nippon – What’s That?’. The quality of the printing and the pictures was superior to the Lima book.
Florence Myers’ book was next. Mrs. Myers did rate the marks and also provided interesting comments about the various pieces.
In addition to the three books that Jeff wittily discussed, there were two other books from the 1970’s. One was by Gene Loendorf, which was another paperback and one by Irene Stitt, which was a hard covered book that contained information and pictures about Japanese porcelain in general, but also had chapters on Nippon and Noritake.
The next program, presented by Dick Bittner, covered the re-design of our INCC website. In line with current technological progress, we will have private access for members. Dick is also planning on having the editions of the INCC Journal added to the website. There are new galleries, depicting the many types of Nippon, and we got to see a variety of the pictures available on them. There are application forms available for new members and membership renewal forms for the rest of us. We will be able to pay by check (the old way….. snail mail) or by Paypal — for the technically able. Your membership confirmation receipt will be sent to you by email. All the updates, along with ones to come, will move the website into the 21st century.
Jeff Mattison asked about how to improve and sustain the club. The web site will certainly help. But, we really need new members. He also mentioned that the programs were hard to arrange. However, next year we will have three different anniversaries to celebrate. The INCC will be thirty years old. The “M in wreath” mark will be one hundred years old and the Nippon mark will be one hundred and twenty years old. If all that doesn’t inspire a lot of programs, it should certainly inspire a lot of champagne.
Jean Roberts asked how prospective new members can find our website. Some discussion followed.
Some brief talk about local clubs included some speculation about restarting the Florida club by having a meeting during the winter. We also discussed the new brochures and where to hand them out. Other topics included: Should we email members once a month? Should we have an auction preview on the website? Should we go on Facebook or YouTube? And, should we open the auction to the public?
Later, the Silent Auction was held during the breaks between Thursday afternoon programs.
Thursday night’s buffet dinner was enjoyed by all. Following dinner, the Ugly contest was held. Then, the beautiful, quilted wall hanging, hand made by Jess Berry, was auctioned off.
Friday morning, bright and early, check-in began for the auction. Once again, Doris Myers did a masterful job dragooning help and overseeing the proceedings. The balance of the day was left for members to make their own plans. Many spent that time touring the rooms again. Most of us re-convened again at the hotel’s cocktail hour and then some headed out of the hotel for dinner.
Saturday morning was supposed to bring an interesting program concerning the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. However, most mysteriously, our speaker never showed up. Weeks later, Jeff Mattison learned that she had left the company and never bothered to inform us.
The INCC is not so easily flummoxed. Instead of Frank Lloyd Wright, we had Lisa Thomka, a much better choice! Lisa gave a report on the Strategic Planning Committee meeting of the previous day. This committee has been formed to find ways of improving the INCC for the benefit of our members. They are discussing what our most important issues are and how to plan to solve our problems.
Membership is one of our major problems. The committee and the members present talked about how to raise the number of members and how to increase attendance at the convention. Technology appears to be how younger people (and some of us more senior members) communicate. So, our website seems to be doing us a lot of good and is bringing in new members. We also discussed what individual members are willing to do to help the club. As in any other organization, some people work hard, some people complain and some people sit by and hope others will do it. We need to find ways to help more people contribute to the club; every little bit helps.
The decline of attendance at the convention is a problem for us. We agree that we need more promotion within the area the convention will be held. Should we let nonmembers into the rooms or the auction?
The lack of a sufficient amount of new members was also brought up again. There was some talk about the fact that Nippon was not as readily on display at shows and stores as it once had been. How can you interest someone in collecting an item that they do not see? Also, there seems to be much less demand for the lower-priced pieces. Most of us started out spending a little and learning a lot. How can we encourage people to see that every piece of Nippon is a quality piece of Nippon?
Following this extremely lively discussion, the Nippon rarities table appeared. The first item to be shown provoked interest because there were varying opinions as to what it was. The picture was part of the Hunt Scene, showing a man on horseback. Some thought it was a trivet, although it was actually too thin to be a trivet. Others thought it was a tray insert or a flue cover. We also drooled over:
A small bolted urn with flowers which probably was a salesman’s sample An unusually-shaped piece of coralene
A 15-1/2- inch vase with a gold background
A coralene vase with a very rare sailboat
A scenic toothbrush holder
Some figural animal samples
A ferner with the Noritake/Nippon mark that had a metallic finish
A vase with a portrait of a Japanese prime minister accompanied by a letter from Mr. Keishi Suzuki identifying him
A spectacular 28-inch bolted urn on stand depicting the arab on a camel scene
A ladle with drainage holes in it
An impressive turquoise vase with silver overlay marked with the RC mark
A sardine dish with underplate
A fantastic display of matching 10-inch and 14-inch blown-out plaques including the Moose, a horse’s head, some dogs and the adorable children by a tree
A blown-out fisherman tankard
A pair of blown out Egyptian candlesticks
A cloisonné-like mantel set, including a vase and matching candlesticks
And 3 Japanese Woodblock prints depicting scenes of ancient Japanese life.
Naturally, we all coveted every single piece on that table. A rare display indeed!
Next up was a new program called “Favorites and Souvenirs”. This was a Show and Tell type program and provided us with a look at an interesting assortment of objects. Jerry Service had a moriage decorated compote with the Washington, DC decal. There were several small pieces with that decal on display also. Dick Bittner had some small pieces that depicted Mt. Rainer and Lake Washington. Ken Schirm had interesting Washington, DC pieces, and Bob Schoenherr had a plate with the Seattle skyline and a plate with Mr. Rainer/Lake Washington.
The favorites were next, but first several members of the group described some favorite pieces that they didn’t bring. Then we began the display of favorite pieces, most of which would have been right at home on the rarities table.
Dick Bittner had a squat vase with a white cockatoo
Mary Ellen brought along a lovely vase with roses.
Rella Clock had a gorgeous bolted vase with top and bottom handles.
Doris Myers shared her blown-out winter scene vase with a tan Wedgwood border.
Nat Goldstein had a vase with a tan wedgwood border (you wouldn’t think they were as rare as they are) and a pretty scene.
Lenny Taylor had a Coralene and cobalt vase with fancy handles, flowers and lots of gold.
Jeff Mattison displayed his bisque-finish winter scene vase.
Everyone sat, green with envy, awaiting the next program.
Miyoko Davey came from New York to deliver the final presentation of the day on Japonism. Mrs. Davey collects better quality antique items that have been influenced by Japanese design. We saw pictures of the many things she has acquired over her 30 years of collecting. There were many different magnificent things in her collection. In addition to the Nippon, there was French art glass, a Tiffany lamp (to die for), Steuben and other art glass and other Japanese antiques. She discussed how Japanese art has penetrated and influenced many other art forms including the French Impressionists. Her collection will be on exhibit during May 2011 at the Mitsubishi Museum in Tokyo. Here is what she will say in the introduction to the exhibition catalog:
INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSSo often, something which means very little at the beginning, develops into something meaningful. This was certainly true with me. When I started to look for a dinner set for daily use, I found vintage or antique porcelains better in quality and less expensive in price. Quite often, these sets included some small items such as a coffee cup and saucer or lunch plates with Japanese designs. Those side items with Japanese motifs gradually accumulated and my interests expanded endlessly. After almost thirty years, with my husband, the present collection was made. Generally, Japonism is very well known in the western world. What surprised me is that Japonism design affected not only impressionist painting and expensive avant-garde objects, but also many articles used in every day life by people of moderate income. Examples include silver plated napkin rings and door knobs. Japonism penetrated daily life for such a long time, at least thirty years. Understanding this, I feel great satisfaction when I find a Japonism cup and saucer with no kiln name in the New York street fairs and flee markets. This shows how Japonism was popular. Collecting Japonism is fairly easy to start if one has the interest. There are many opportunities available, even with a small amount of money. But what I like to emphasize is that one can expand life’s pleasure by collecting something that we, as Japanese, should be proud of. In order to realize these exhibitions, it took so much time and cooperation from many people and institutions. Teikyo University Associate Professor Masayuki Okabe, supervisor for our Japonism exhibitions, has been our chief advisor for more than ten years in guiding the Japonism exhibit to fruition. Sankei Newspaper, one of the major newspapers of Japan, understood our intention to illustrate the powerful and wide spread impact of Japonism in the Western world and showed its interest in international cultural exchange by taking financial responsibility. Furthermore, Matsushita Electric Works Shiodome Museum, Shizuoka City Art Gallery and Shiga Prefectural Museum Togei no Mori all showed their understanding and energetically cooperated. Our sincere appreciation to the American Embassy and others who helped these exhibitions successfully materialize.
Saturday night brought us to the closing banquet. The food was good, the company delightful and everyone had a fun-filled time. Many desirable items were raffled off, as usual, with most of them having a close tie-in to Nippon or Japan. Thanks to Nat Goldstein and his go-get-‘em selling team for doing their usual excellent job, helping to raise money for the club.
The last thing to be raffled off was Gloria Addison’s beautiful, hand-made afghan. And after hopelessly waiting for many, long, frustrating years—you’ll never guess who won it!
Join Us in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!For some INCC members, the 2009 Convention kicked off at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cleveland,Ohio with a Wednesday afternoon Board meeting chaired by President Bill Chvala. Following the reading and passage of the Winter Board Meeting minutes, the treasurers report was given and approved. The membership report indicated that a new tri-fold color brochure had been produced and printed and copies were available to the membership to be used to recruit new members. A report on our website www.nipponcollectorsclub.com, was made by chairman Dick Bittner.
It was pointed out that we would soon have access to Paypal and existing members as well as new members would be able to make their membership payments online. For those who want to continue to pay by check, that method will remain as an option. The website is undergoing a complete overhaul and a target date for a new design and many new features was estimated to be January of 2010.
Following a discussion of new business that included the events that were planned for the next three days, the meeting was adjourned.
The official 2009 Convention began on Thursday morning at 9:00 with the introduction of new members and welcoming remarks. Each new member was assigned a sponsor-member who would assist in making the convention a beneficial learning experience.
At 9:30, the general membership meeting was called to order and the convention activities were announced. Minutes and reports were provided and approved by the members in attendance. Under old business, the membership was provided with a schedule of the events for the next three days and the location of the 2010 convention was announced. The 2010 convention will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. on July 29th, 30th and 31st (click on Convention 2010 for more).
Following the reports and discussion of old business, the membership was asked to consider ways to recruit more new members and
provide their suggestions to a member of the Board during the convention. Chairperson, Doris Myers, announced that the auction preview would began on Friday at 9:30 am and that Jim Wroda of Jim Wroda Auction Company in Greenville, Ohio would be calling the auction.At 10:30 following adjournment of the general meeting, each member in attendance was presented with a plate made by the Noritake Company with the following inscription: “INCC—28th Convention, Cleveland, Ohio” This gift came as a lovely surprise to the members.
The first program followed the General Meeting. A session on Porcelain Repair was presented by Jennifer Burt from the Wiebold Studio. Her studio performs all types of repairs from the worst kind of major shatter to small hairline cracks or imperfections. Jennifer gave a thorough and very interesting talk showing samples of the stages during the repair of specific Nippon vase. She also laid out for us, a number of useful steps to follow in the event we Had to face up to an accident where one of our cherished porcelain items became damaged.
Those were: Pick up all pieces carefully and separate using paper towels for spacersSave even the smallest chipped piecesDO NOT try to reassemble yourselfSecure any crack with painters tape to avoid additional damageContact a professional to find your options and to secure estimates for repairing the piece.
Jennifer also provided us with advice on cleaning our porcelain collectibles. Never use a spray such as antibacterial or other harsh chemical cleaners. Use of water and vinegar or a solution of baking soda are acceptable cleaners. She also cautioned us, when restoring gold trim, NEVER try to “fire” it in your oven. The result could be that your cherished piece may explode under the heat. This was a very informative and interesting session as the convention got underway. Following a lunch break and a visit to the Hospitality Suite which was hosted by our Dixieland Chapter Club,we returned to our next scheduled session. Member Nat Goldstein shared a slide presentation of his recent trip to Japan, where he visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya where he planned to visit the Noritake Museum. Unfortunately, the Museum was closed on that day, however, the Noritake Outlet Center was open making the entire trip worthwhile. On the next day, he was able to visit the Museum and presented a number of great photos of the displays. A visit to the Nagoya Castle which is a restored, ancient landmark capped the day. While in Tokyo, Nat visited with Mrs. Tadazumi Kazuko Hirohata and described a warm and welcoming visit. As usual, Nat provided the membership with an exciting as well as educational presentation.
For the next session of the day, President-Elect, Dick Bittner hosted a selection of Oddities and Rarities. This session has become an annual program that allows members to bring a rare or odd Nippon piece from their collection to show to the viewing membership in attendance. The participating member is provided an opportunity to describe their reasons why the piece is either rare or odd. Member discussion is typically very informative to all members.
Not to be inconsistent, Polly Frye once again brought one of her collection of “thingies” with a rare painting of an owl. Rella Clock brought a beautiful and rare coralene vase adorned with an unusual bird. Janice Hertel brought a flowered, barge shaped piece and Bill Chvala brought a flower ferner with painted frog that was stamped NIPPON. Scott Johnson dazzled everyone with a molded tiger with rare marble inlay interior, a molded egyptian piece, a black blown-out ashtray, a rare rabbit night light and a 14 inch plaque with molded-in-relief dogs. Finally, B.J. Longest delighted us with a pair of celluloid Roly Poly dolls. A very informative and exciting session.
The last session for Thursday was our “ugliest piece contest that allows members to volunteer an ugly piece of Nippon, knowing that the piece that is judged to be the ugliest by the members vote, will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to benefit the club. Janice Hertel offered an ugly vase/bowl with long extended handles, Bill Chvala offered an unusually ugly flowered piece with frog and Esther Laubis offered an unattractive, pale chocolate pot. Bob and Maggie Schoenherr brought an ashtray and Nancy Miller contributed a trinket box . Following some interesting voting Esther’s chocolate pot was deemed to be the ugliest piece of Nippon for the 2009 convention and was sold immediately to the highest bidder. The large handled vase/bowl, in a spirited bidding war fetched the top dollar amongst the “uglies”.
As typically scheduled, the Hotel provides a cocktail hour each evening of our stay at 5:00 in the evening. On this Thursday evening, as we attended our Dinner, we ran a silent auction in conjunction with the meal. The silent auction was scheduled, managed and finalized by Board member Cheri Zangmeister. Quite a number of nice Nippon pieces were energetically sought by the membership and a number of high bidders left with a very nice treasure.
At the termination of the meal, we were presented with a selection of donated Japanese collectable's to be auctioned by our auctioneer, Jim Wroda. Included were a Japanese Obi, an old Noritake bound book, an outstanding Kimona with peacock in silk and the highlight of the evening; the traditional Hand quilted wall hanging. Each year, our long-time member, Jess Berry starts with a photo of a piece of Nippon and produces a hand stitched quilt and donates it to be auctioned off at our Thursday night dinner. This year was no exception, and the scene was the strong man Nippon vase with white cockatoo. Following some intense bidding, the new owners of the quilt were Maggie and Bob Schoenherr.
The evening events concluded with the drawing of the hand-made afghan, designed and made by Gloria Addison. Following a build-up of suspension,the winning ticket was drawn by Daiki Takeuchi, who flew in from Tokyo, Japan on Monday with his father, Tomo ( a past-Presidents of our club).
And the winner of the afghan this year goes to:
********* Eunice Taylor!! ***********
The remainder of the evening allowed members to visit the rooms of members who were selling from their rooms. What a great way to find good collectible pieces of Nippon.
Friday morning at 9:30, the doors opened to the auction room for preview followed by auctioning of the many pieces of Nippon that members have placed in the members-only-auction. At 10:30, auctioneer Jim Wroda explained the auction rules and the bidding began. Hours later, there were many smiling faces carrying boxes of collectibles back to their rooms. A big “Thank You” to Doris Myers and all of the volunteer members who helped make this yet another great auction.
When the last auction item was gaveled down,all members were invited to attend the Hospitality Suite to be opened for the remainder of the evening. Food and drinks weire provided by the Dixieland Chapter Club and the Nippon chatter was prolific amongst all members.
On Saturday morning we were pleased by a presentation by one of the most profound experts in the antique world. Terry Kovel entertained and educated us with a presentation of her life as an antique collector and writer. Terry and her late husband, Ralph, published their first price guide in 1967 today her price guide is sought by most collectors. Every year the guide has new prices which are based on extensive research by Terry and her staff. Aside from being a prolific author, Terry is also a dedicated collector and we dedicated Nippon collectors found her presentation to be upbeat and informative.
Saturday afternoon was set aside for tours of downtown Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of fame.
The 2009 Nippon Convention was concluded with a sit-down banquet featuring a selection of steak or salmon with all of the delicious trimmings and side dishes all served by the Embassy Suites convention staff.
A gift of appreciation was given to outgoing President, Bill Chvala by President-Elect Dick Bittner. Also, in recognition of her many years of devoted work for the benefit of the club, member Polly Frye was presented a gift of a lovely 17” Nippon vase decorated in purple wisteria.
Tired and happy, we began our packing chores in preparation for the trip back home after yet another fun-filled and inspirational convention.
NEXT STOP: Pittsburgh, Pa. July 29th, 30th and 31st!
If you haven’t joined our Nippon Collectors Club yet, just click on the MEMBERSHIP page and we’ll be happy to have you join us at our next convention in Pittsburgh.
We thank you again for your interest & look forward to your joining our friendly family of Nippon enthusiasts!
2008 INCC Convention Review
by Jess Berry
The 2008 INCC Convention was held July 31-August 2 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin (Columbus), Ohio. Since the Noritake Club held their convention at the same location just prior to ours, several people attended both functions. It was good to have the opportunity to visit with people I hadn’t seen in several years.
After a 5-day drive, we finally arrived at Embassy Suites on Sunday the 27th, and as usual there were INCC members there ahead of us. Monday & Tuesday were devoted entirely to visiting with friends and preparing for the coming festivities.
At 1:00 pm Wednesday, a meeting of the current INCC Board was held. Also from 2:00 to 4:00 pm the registration desk was set-up in the lobby for pick-up of welcome packages. Then at 7:00 pm the hospitality room was open for “goodies” and visiting. Goldie Watkins was in charge of hospitality and she and her helpers did a wonderful job. The rest of the evening was free for buying, selling or whatever one liked.
Thursday at 9:30 am was the First-Time Attendees Orientation giving by incoming President Bill Chvala.
At 10:00 am we met for the general meeting.
President Bob Schoenherr introduced members of the current Board:
yell shirt Bill Chvala - President Elect
Dick Bittner - Vice President
Julie Kimelman- Treasurer
Bruce Addision- Secretary
Tomoaki Takeuchi- Past President
Judy Boyd- Director & Editor
Goldie Watkins- Director
Jerry Service- Director
Maggie Schoenherr- Publisher (Non-Board Member)
The fourth Director, Linda Lau was not present. Following introductions were reports from the Treasurer, Vice President-Membership Chairman and the editor.
Bruce Addison gave election results for the coming year:
Dick Bittner - President Elect
Bob Zangmeister- Director
Cheri Zangmeister- Director meeting
The location and date for the 2009 Convention will be Embassy Suites in Cleveland, Ohio from July 30-August 1. The 2010 Convention will be held in Pittsburgh, PA from July 29 -31.
President Schoenherr advised that due to general price increases for 2009, the convention registration fee will increase from $85 to $95. Also, yearly memberships will increase from $30 to $35. He then gave information on activities for the convention and reminded everyone to buy raffle tickets. Being raffled was the beautiful afghan made by Gloria Addison as numerous other prizes. The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 am.joan indian
The 11:00 am program was entitled “Egyptian Escapades” by Jess Berry. Using Nippon pieces featuring Egyptian-style decoration, we took a cruise down the Nile visiting tombs, temples and a portrait gallery.
The next program at 2:00 pm was given by Yoshi Itani, author of a recent book on coralene. She gave an informative lecture on porcelain over-glazing and the trading company of Nagoya; explaining where pieces were produced, how they were decorated and the progression of quality in workmanship. Examples of the items and back stamps were shown.
At 3:00 pm we were introduced to “Princess Nippotake of the Moriage Tribe” (Joan Van Patten in full costume) who gave a presentation on American Indians as depicted on Nippon. Showing photos she identified many scenes taken from well-known paintings and ended with the marvelous plaques and humidors featuring Chiefs Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Joseph.
At 7:00 pm we were treated to a buffet dinner, after which Bob announced items to be auctioned - an obi, several pieces of jewelry made from porcelain, a haori and a wall hanging. Dick Bittner was the auctioneer and he was quite good at convincing the crowd to spend money. Items sold were as follows:
Convention Queen Louise necklace
Queen Louise necklace/earrings
Arab & Camel necklace
Necklace made from a piece of Joan’s broken urn
Haori
Obi
Wall hanging featuring Wisteria Vase (Purchased by Goldie Watkins)
All items auctioned had been donated and total amount went to the INCC. Bob closed the activities with a reminder that Friday was auction day and check-in would begin at 7:30 am. With that we were free to buy, sell & visit.
Promptly at 7:30 am, Doris and her auction crew were ready to receive items. Preview of sale pieces was at 9:30 am with the actual auction starting at 10:30. Once Doris reminded us of the auction rules, Bob introduced the auctioneer, Kevin Berchett and the auction began. Following is a partial listing of items that were sold (sizes and descriptions are approximate):
8” Vase, cobalt & floral
9” Vase, coralene
9” Plate, red & gold
Mug, scenic
4-piece Smoke Set, ships
6” Vase, cobalt & scenic
Humidor, scenic panels
10” Vase. floral & gold
Pair Candlesticks, floral
10” Lidded Urn, floral & gold
5” Vase, camel scene
Lampbase, Wedgwood
Mug, owl
Ewer, floral
6” Vase, moriage birds
Ashtray, molded relief horses
7-piece Tea Set, moriage dragons
Shallow Bowl 10”, floral
8” Vase, floral
Ashtray, scenic
5-piece Berry set
3” Figural Doll
16” Bolted Urn, floral 10” Vase, roses Humidor, owl
9-piece Chocolate Set, floral
Sardine Dish
7” Vases, pair, painted bird
9” Bowl with pedestal base, floral
Large Powder Box
Bolted Urn, 16”, blue with floral
10” Plate, scenic
10” Plaque, ship scene
18” Vase, sheep scene
Pair 8” Vases, floral
14” Bolted Urn, green with roses & gold
9” Vase, floral
12” Tankard, moriage on blue
Footed Tea Pot
9” Plate, Queen Louise
Tiny Vase, 3 1/2”, scenic
Plaque, molded relief eagle
14” Tankard, floral
Chocolate Set, 5 c/s, floral
Humidor, molded apollo & dogs
The first program Saturday morning at 9:00 am was Lady Chattalot (Joan Van Patten) on Customs in Victorian England. She was in authentic Victorian clothing and using a wide array of items (some Nippon) from her collection, proceeded to explain Victorian manners and behavior. (I think we’re all lucky not to have lived in that era.)dick
At 10:00 am it was African Adventure by Dick Bittner. Dressed appropriately, he took us on a trip to Monrovia, Liberia showing photos of the city, camels, lions, snakes and he & Mary Ellen, his wife, riding on elephants. He then displayed mirror image pairs of well-recognized Nippon vases and plaques (extremely rare find in Nippon porcelain) which were supposedly to be found in Monrovia. He had us fooled for awhile, but with the sight of the well-known molded Lion and Lioness going in opposite directions on plaques, I think most of us began to “smell a rat”. He got a big laugh admitting it was all a big spoof done with trick photography.
Next at 11:00 was Going Dutch with Judy Boyd. She explained the relationship between the Japanese and the Dutch East India Trading Company using Nippon pieces. Dutch dolls, ships, windmills & shoes appeared with a running commentary.
The program at 2:00 pm was Selling & Buying on eBay with a panel consisting of Susan Chvala, Julie Kimelman and Tomo Takeuchi. They answered questions on buying, selling, feedback and what effect eBay has had on quality in shops and at conventions.
The final program at 3:00 was “International Beauties, Rarities and Other Seldom Seen Objects” chaired by Dawn Fisher and Jess Berry. Items on display were: “Thingies” (little match holders???), Tea Caddy with upside down flying swans, an 8” Toy Bolted Urn (perhaps a salesman’s sample), 3-faced Indian Humidor (molded relief), Muscle man shaped vase with white cockatoo, Molded relief Fisherman tankard, Coralene Vase, Coralene Chocolate Set, Toothbrush holder (odd shape), Hatpin holder with advertising, Ashtray with porcelain spokes in cover, Egyptian Box (molded relief), Egyptian Inkwell (molded relief), 10” Plaque featuring a moriage grasshopper, Large Humidor with moriage skull and crossbones, Small Plate with painted bird, Plaque with moriage birds (decorated with two moriage birds and “cookie-cutter” moriage leaves). On the reverse were some stamped numbers and no mark. According to Japanese authority it was manufactured in the 1950-60 era. It was definitely not Nippon era. presidents
At 7:00 pm the group gathered for the banquet which was the final event of the convention. After dinner came the time for the raffle drawing. There were many items to be won - afghan, books, t-shirts, cards, haori and many surprise packages. The first ticket drawn was for the wonderful afghan made by Gloria Addison and the winner was Kimiharu Yamazaki. The many other prizes were were announced, some people winning more than once. After the drawing, Bobb no beardJennifer Cavedo, on behalf of the Dixieland Chapter, presented Bob a gift and thanked him for his work as President this past year. Bob then thanked the many people who helped with the convention - with a special thanks to Maggie. He also thanked everyone for coming and invited them all to come to Cleveland next year
It was a good convention and we hope to see you all next summer.
Jess
INCC 2008 Auction Review
by Doris Myers
I cannot believe how rapidly the annual INCC Convention rolls around. I also cannot believe how fortunate I am to have members join me year after year to pull together all aspects of the auction that make for a rewarding day for the attending Nippon collectors.
This year, as in years past, was not a disappointment for members seeking beautiful Nippon to add to their collections. the auctioneer, Keith Burchett of Auction Ohio Gallery at the Southpointe Market Place in Columbus, gave us some mid-west humor as he set a nice pace for the auction. He and Gloria Addison had a nice exchange about her Boston accent. It was a pleasure to have him with us for the day.
Again, my list is long for the members who served on the committees and I wish to thank each one of you for giving your time to assist with the auction:
RUNNERS - Bill Boyd, Chairperson, Roger Hahn, Gloria Addison, Dick Bittner, Tomo Takeuchi, Bob Zangmeister
AUCTION SET-UP - Cheri Zangmeister, Marie Letizia, Rilla Clock, Jean Roberts
CHECK-IN - Jess Berry, Chairperson, Bob Schoenherr, Greeter at the door, Jerry Service, Lenny Taylor, Valerie Herts, Jeff Mattison
CLERKS - Julie Kimelman, Dawn Fisher, Jeff Mattison
STICKER COMMITTEE - B.J. Longest, Chairperson, Polly Frye, Virginia Hensley, Mary Ellen Bittner, Nelda Newburn
HOLDING AREA - Gary Graves, Chairperson, Lewis Longest, Ken Schirm
REVIEW PANEL - Jess Berry, Chairperson, Nat Goldstein, Terrie Kempe, Joan Van Patten, Susan Chvala
We are pleased with results of the move from a Saturday to a Friday auction. This was the second year and the members seem happy to be able to view the items earlier in the convention schedule. The meetings continue on Saturday and the banquet that evening sends everyone home with happy memories of another successful convention.
We look forward to seeing everyone next year. If you have not yet attended a convention, please plan to join us in the near future.
We thank you again for your interest & look forward to your joining our friendly family of Nippon enthusiasts!