Page 14 - March 2025

B
utton
12 The NaTioNal ButtonBulleTiN March 2025
Yuzan Kiln
Y
uzan Kiln
Arita Porcelain Buttons
Arita P
orcelain Buttons

A N EW PERSPECTIVE ON ARITAS

by Inge Borland

A variety of lovely Japanese porcelain buttons depicting realistic flowers have
been on the market for decades but their origin has been a mystery. Some have
called them Arita porcelain, some say they are Kutanis, and the Button Country
website refers to an example as Class 2-2 Porcelain “Arita-style.”
New research verifies these buttons are Arita porcelain made by the Yuzan kiln.
Details to support the Arita origin will follow, but first, let’s focus on the beautiful
buttons!

Yuzan cosmos flower button and brooch set was retailed by Aitosha Co. Ltd. The
maker and retailer names are printed on the box (see inset bottom right). The inset
at top left shows the Yuzan maker’s mark on the back of the brooch. This same
mark is found on many of Yuzan’s products but their buttons are unmarked.