(2) Mid Century Modern Japanese Whimsical MCI Porcelain Letter Vases. One white, one blue. A "Y" and a "U." Small paper label on the bottom of each. 

Size: 8 1/2 x 3 x 7 in., 7 1/2 x 2 x 5 3/4 in. 

Japanese pottery, known as tōjiki, yakimono, or tōgei, is one of the oldest Japanese crafts and art forms, dating back to the Neolithic period. Types have included earthenware, pottery, stoneware, porcelain, and blue-and-white ware. Earthenwares were made as early as the Jōmon period (10,500-300 BC), giving Japan one of the oldest ceramic traditions in the world. Japan is further distinguished by the unusual esteem that ceramics hold within its artistic tradition, owing to the enduring popularity of the tea ceremony. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603), kilns throughout Japan produced ceramics with unconventional designs. In the early Edo period, the production of porcelain commenced in the Hizen-Arita region of Kyushu, employing techniques imported from Korea. These porcelain works became known as Imari wares, named after the port of Imari from which they were exported to various markets, including Europe. Japanese ceramic history records the names of numerous distinguished ceramists and artist-potters such as Hon’ami Kōetsu, Ninsei, Ogata Kenzan, and Aoki Mokubei. Japanese anagama kilns also have flourished through the ages, and their influence weighs with that of the potters. Another important Japanese constituent of the art is the continuing popularity of unglazed high-fired stoneware even after porcelain became popular. Since the 4th Century AD, Japanese ceramics have often been influenced by the artistic sensibilities of neighboring East Asian civilizations, transforming and translating the Chinese and Korean works they encountered during missions of conquest into a uniquely Japanese creation. Since the mid 17th Century when Japan started to industrialize, high-quality standard wares produced in factories became popular exports to Europe. In the 20th century a homegrown cottage ceramics industry began to take root and emerge, with major Japanese ceramic companies including MCI, Noritake, and Toto Ltd.