Lithophane dragon ware tea set - $250 in Kelowna, British Columbia for sale

Antique Lithophane is meticulously hand applied in moriage - a raised finish. The dragons are of exceptional detail and clarity. The colour black on white with faint hints of blue and gold are very pleasing.
There is an image of a young Geisha's face imbedded in the bottom of each cup and sake glass when held to light - or as you empty your tea and are facing the light. Lithophane was invented in 1827, using different thicknesses of bisque porcelain a. Nod that us what produces the remarkable 3 dimensional images. The artist first carves the image into bee's wax. The translucency of the wax allows the artist to see his working results. A plaster casting is taken from the wax mold, then a fine porcelain paste is pressed into the mold. It's a time consuming process that is no longer being performed. Lithophane sets such as this were produced during the late 1940s in Japan.
It is an exceptional collectors set that will only increase in value.
The pieces included in the set are:
Tea pot with lid
Cream and sugar with lid
Incense burner with lid
6 cups and 6 saucers
Ash tray
3 sake cups
6 luncheon plates - the plates are decorated to include brown and green on the dragon design on the same white with black porcelain.