McKinley Tariff Act from 1890, law establishing record-high tariffs on many imported items, sponsored by Representative William McKinley, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, the act was designed to protect American industries from foreign competition. Its unpopularity led to its replacement by the Wilson Act in 1894. Which regulated items exported from Japan to US by marking the merchandise with the country of origin and used the word "Nippon" written in western characters.

Nippon also written Nihon is the Japanese name for the country of Japan, meaning the "Land of the Rising Sun.” On porcelain this word spelled out as "NIPPON,” occurs in the back stamps of Japanese merchandise from approximately 1891 until early 1920s. The preponderance of pieces marked "Nippon" were exported elsewhere, from Japan by the company that soon after would become Noritake Company that was established in Nagoya Japan, in 1904 there were large numbers of companies making porcelain wares during the Nippon era. Today, it is possible to identify only a fraction of the actual makers.

The two characters Nichi hon reading "Nippon" (=Japan) written in Japanese kanji characters could be found on Japanese porcelain unrelated to this from the Meiji period (1868-1912) all through the Taisho period (1913-1926) up until at least the Second World War. Occasionally there are three characters Dai + Nichi + Hon reading "Dai Nippon" (= Great Japan). It is normally felt that marks that comprise of "Dai Nippon" in Japanese characters date to the Meiji (1868-1912) period, reflecting the significant increased nationalism rebellion of that era.

The regulation does not apply for items exported to supplementary countries nor was all the items found in America, because sometimes paper labels were used, which have since fallen off. So, while finding a back stamp saying "Nippon" is a useful in dating the piece it not imperative.

In 1921, this was changed to reflect the growing relations between Japan and other countries and the beginning of defiant feelings toward America and its allies. So began the western name on merchandise "Japan" or "Made in Japan" which were now being exported to the US.

Written by Annette Nolan of AnnEpiphany of Wisconsin

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