Early Made in Japan Art Pottery Apple Peach Cookie Jar Biscuit Jar.
This little beauty is an old biscuit or cookie jar in the shape of a blushing apple or peach -- or could it be a tomato (?) -- with embossed leaves on each side and the stemmed lid -- it has a personality all its own.
It's nicely patterned and painted in bright red with expert gradation to yellow as if fruit is ripening. The leaves are bright green and there's a brown stem that acts as lid handle, with green leaf.
Stamped in black ink on the underside is "Made in Japan," but that mark is nearly indecipherable. It appears to be early Maruhon Ware, Marumon Ware or Marutomoware all which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, and were all marked 'Made in Japan' at one point in their production. Wish we could pinpoint its auspices!
Approximate measurements are: 6.5" tall with lid, 5 1/4" wide at center widest point, 5 1/4" mouth, and room for plenty cookies in its approx 5" deep white interior.
Condition is good; colors are still vibrant and glaze is consistently good, with crazing on the underside and interior yet not visible externally. Interior is very clean. It has an approx 1" chip on the underside of the inside lip, not visible when lid is atop jar. There's an approx .25" pottery chip on exterior rim, some paint chips on leaves, stems on body and typical flea bites, a pinhole and production skips on the glaze. See photos.