This eBay Guide provides ten photographs, basic research information, and speculation about Art Deco KENT ART WARE of Japan. It is also a frequently updated Price Guide for Buyers and Sellers. The guide concludes with your comments, and a link to my Companion Guide that has photographs of additional pieces.     

HISTORY

Little is known about Kent Art Ware, or KAW for short. What currently appears on the Internet and in print about the company seem to be re-cycled best-guesses. Still, based on the unmistakable Art Deco style of KAW, and since each and every piece I have seen is stamped on the bottom, "Kent Art Ware - Japan", it is safe to conclude it was produced in Japan from the 1920's through the 30's and possibly into the early 1940's before the Second World War. (America's Art Deco period was from 1909 to 1939.) It is also safe to conclude KAW is not being reproduced for there would be no profit motive in the Reproduction Capital of China or elsewhere to do so.    

It has been claimed the brand was created by Noritake as a less expensive alternative to Germany's Rosenthal and Vienna's Goldscheider ceramics. Noritake had an American office in New York City during the lifetime of Kent Art Ware, and yet a phone call to the current Noritake corporate office did not turn-up anything of value including confirmation of the Noritake connection.

The firm did suggest I contact a well known and respected china replacement company well versed in Noritake history. As it turned out the company did not have information about Kent Art Ware either, but the gentleman I spoke with was kind enough to contact an expert within a highly respected Noritake collector organization. The gracious authority on Noritake promptly sent me an email with what she knew. The email was a cut and paste of the original version of this guide and I was right back where I started.

Then in October of 2009 I stumbled upon an auction that may shed new light, or at least thoughtful speculation, on who made Kent Art Ware. An identical match of the KAW Standing Female Holding a Bowl Figurine (see below) was purchased by me on eBay.

I say identical, but that's not quite true. First, the item is an exact mirror image of the KAW marked piece in my collection. In other words, what was left is right and what was right is left. This cannot be achieved by any method other than precisely modeling a second mirror image figurine from which to make a mold. And second, the skirt of the mirror image piece is painted pink under the glaze, and the base is painted powder blue. These identical colors were also used on the KAW "White Female Figure Vase" pictured in my second companion guide.

Of real significance, the mirror image figurine is clearly marked on the bottom, "Moriyama - Made in Japan". (Moriyama Pottery was established in 1911 by Hidekichi Nakamura.)   

During its early history of immense popularity in America and elsewhere, Noritake routinely contracted with smaller companies to make ceramics under their label(s) to keep-up with product demand. Was this the case with Hidekichi Nakamura's Moriyama Pottery? Did they make this particular piece for Noritake's Kent Art Ware line and/or a mirror image piece for Noritake's Moriyama Pottery line? Did Hidekichi Nakamura make most, if not all, of Kent Art Ware stamped ceramics?   

Hopefully, time and further research will reveal more answers than questions. Meanwhile, what I do know is Internet posted histories of Noritake I've read make no mention of KAW. For now, I have concluded there are no existing records of the company in Japan. As was frequently the case they may have been lost or destroyed during World War II. And it appears there are no company records of KAW in America.

APPEARANCE

Art Deco inspired Kent Art Ware was offered in creamy white, or bright white with cold-painted gold accents, or fired partially painted or fully painted in colors. From what I have seen the size of the pieces did not usually vary. A known exception is the Female Head pictured in the top row below. It was made in two sizes, 10.5" tall and 6.5" tall, though the smaller size had no maker's mark. Color schemes and finishes varied and between my two guides I have included a couple of examples of the exact same items with different finishes.   

EXAMPLES 

The creations of Kent Art Ware range from Art Deco Wonderful -

     

To the Whimsical and Attractive -

                

   

YOUR COMMENTS

"Hi! I just wanted to say thanks for your Kent Art Ware guide -- I knew most of what little info there is, but I was happy to see a central place I can check back with as more info turns up! We got started with KAW because of a family piece; the "father" of the hippo family floated around my stepmother's family for decades and he finally ended up with me. She thought her father had bought it in the 30s in NYC but she didn't really know. We later added the rest of the hippo set, the horse w/ green details and a white version of that curly-haired ram. Someday I hope to start adding the modern Jonathan Adler pieces that are so similar!! Anyway, thanks again and I'll keep my eye on your guide and hope you're able to keep adding to it!"  Sarah