Dad's dragon dishes
Yesterday I showed you some dishes and asked you a few questions. Here are the answers.
Many moons ago (1961 or there abouts), before I was born or even thought of, years before my parents even met and while my mom was just a child (she would have been 13). My dad was a young man of about 20 and he joined the Navy in hopes of finding a mermaid. He spent a lot of time in a submarine and while he never found that mystical mermaid he did find those dishes.
American Servicemen were not allowed in Naha Okinawa, Japan when my dad was there, so he had to sneak into town. But he was determined to get to the factory where these dishes were made for the sole purpose of buying them. He bought 3 sets that day, each different, and was able to ship them back to the states to his mom so he didn’t have to sleep with them like Pamela’s husband slept with the little man.
What happened to the other two sets? Well one got destroyed and the other is still in the family but this is the set I have. As for the child’s set and the lone teacup, he was able to pick those up along the way, but we have never had a full set of those.
You may not be able to tell from the photos but the dragon is raised as are some of the other embellishments. I can’t imagine that they were ever made to actually use. They are a little dusty but I fear washing them, for I know with my luck I would ruin them.
I have only found one piece like these anywhere. It was a saucer in different colors than my set in an antique store in Red Wing, MN (yes, home of Red Wing pottery and shoes). They wanted a pretty penny for that saucer missing the cup and my husband wanted to get it for me but I left there because it did not match this set and I didn’t want to pay that kind of money for something that didn’t even match. However, if I could ever find the child’s set, of any color, I would scoop it up.
Sorry there were no prizes for these questions but if you look at this post you will find another question to answer that could win you a prize.
OMG I was right! I should have gone with my first instinct glad I said
thats what I thought of first! Those are beautiful...too bad no prize for
this! The prize is the feeling I get for being correct! My Grandfather
brought one thing back from Japan...it is beautiful too!
Those are beautiful!!!
I think they are beautiful. My grandmother had a set with "occupied Japan"
on it my grandfather got during Korea. Now that, is a set with some
history, eh? Just like yours. You need the Roadshow to come to Madison so
you can find out the value.
Very nice!!!
That's an amazing story to go along with your father's china. let me know
if you still have trouble signing into my Autumn goody swap tomorrow. :)
What an amazing treasure to own.
Those are beautiful!
What a great treasure to have. I love when family heirlooms have such
great stories behind them!!!
These are lovely! What a treasure.