[mobertol]

Visited the flea market in Cremona yesterday aft but there was nothing of interest. I try to follow the BBC programmes in the hope that one day something English and unknown here will find it's way into my hands -perhaps a nice Moorcroft bowl or some long lost Staffordshire piece (one can dream!). I bought a Troika ashtray for mum, in a greenish colour, with Dad in the early 70's when on hols in Looe, Cornwall -it had a fish etched in the bottom - unfortunately they no longer have it!

In the meantime have just been moved to look up my antique Japanese teaset on Google. Have discovered it's a Kutani set and has the two-symbol mark in gold inside a gold rectangle. The whole set is white and is decorated heavily in gold-leaf (no colour) -the design is of a river, a bridge with a cherry tree, some Japanese dwellings, pine trees, hills and in the background a mountain (Fujiama?) and clouds. In the bottom of the cups, milk jug, teapot and sugar bowl you can see a Geisha in relief if you hold it up to the light it's egg-shell thin porcelain.
It was given to my Grand-mother by a neighbour returning from Japan, end of WWII to thank her for looking after his mother -so it pre-dates 1945.

I wonder if anyone knows more about it and possible value. (Would never sell it though!)