THE NIPPON COLLEC TION O F VA L E R I E H E R T S Valerie Herts was a well-known collector of Nippon and Noritake porcelain. She was actively involved in the collecting community, often hosting gatherings of the Long Island Nippon and Noritake Collectors Club at her home in Roslyn, New York. “Nippon”-marked porcelain was produced in Japan for export to the United States from 1891 to 1921, a time frame that included the last years of the Meiji Period. The practice began in response to the U.S. McKinley Tariff Act, which required items intended for import be plainly marked in English with their country of origin. “Nippon”, an English approximation for the Japanese word for Japan, was used for 30 years before U.S. Customs deemed it unacceptable and required items be stamped “Japan” instead. Japanese potters of the Nippon era imitated the work of European companies, including Limoges and Belleek, and elaborately decorated their pieces to appeal to the American aesthetic, using techniques like coralene and moriage. The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Nippon Porcelain, by Joan Van Patten, provides an extensive history of the collectible, as well as an inventory of the marks that are referenced here. According to a friend and fellow collector, Valerie’s collection was carefully curated and filled only with things she considered favorites. They were attractively displayed in her home, and she was happy to open her doors and share it with others. Valerie Herts passed away this spring.
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