Antique Porcelain 1916 Nippon Match Holder and Ashtray with Hand-Painted Name and Seattle Address

This is a charming match holder and ashtray dating from the Nippon era: 1891 to 1921. This era began when the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 required imported goods to be marked with the country of origin, and "Nippon" (the Japanese word for Japan) was accepted as the official name on marked pieces. These porcelain match holders were hand-painted and often produced for use as advertisements. The mark N.P.M. probably refers to Nippon Porcelain Manufacturing. The match holder is about 2 1/2 inches tall and the ashtray base is 4 by 3 inches.

This piece has the name "Clarence J. Gerald" in ornate Old English lettering with an Edwardian influence. Clarence J. Gerald is listed in a 1916 telephone book in Seattle as living near Rainier Beach. The address on the match holder (824 First Avenue, Seattle) is a business building that still stands and is adorned with art deco lettering that says "Exchange Building." Therefore, Clarence J. Gerald may have been a barrister or stockbroker and commissioned match holders for advertising and to give to clients. The lettering is in medium blue. There are no chips or cracks. The back of the piece has stippling with tiny holes in the glaze, which appears original to the manufacture. I have not attempted to scrub the tiny holes, but doing so might remove dirt or dust that makes them more apparent. The inside, bottom, and edges are all clean and crisp. The front of the piece has a dot of blue color that occurred while the match holder was made and glazed over. There is a similar tiny dot on the side. Please see all the photographs for a full appreciation of the condition and appearance of the piece. This is an amazing find and is 104 to 134 years old. I chose the date 1916 for the title in the listing because it corresponds to when Clarence J. Gerald can be confirmed to be living and working in Seattle.