Vintage Mickey & Minnie Ceramic Child’s Dish / Bowl (Japan, c.1930s–40s)

A charming early ceramic Disney child’s feeding dish featuring Mickey and Minnie in classic running pose, with a repeating character border. These were part of the first wave of licensed Disney tablewares produced for export, most commonly out of Japan in the late interwar / immediate post-war years.

Key Features

• Oval shallow form — designed as a child’s serving dish

• Transfer-decorated Mickey & Minnie centre scene

• Character border motif around rim

• Cream glaze with period crackle (typical of the era)

• Original paper label to base reading “Made in Japan”

• Nicely weighted earthenware body

Era

Circa late 1930s to 1940s — early Disney licensing period before mass modern production.

Condition

• Age-related crazing across glaze (expected and stable)

• Some staining and light wear from genuine use

• No major structural damage noted

• Displays beautifully with strong graphic presence

This sits firmly in the “honest survivor” category rather than pristine collector grade — which actually suits the early Disney market.

Collectability

Early Japanese Disney ceramics are increasingly collected because they pre-date the flood of later merchandise and still reflect hand-applied decoration and smaller production runs.

Appeals to:

• Disneyana collectors

• Nursery / display decorators

• Early 20th-century toy & childware collectors

• Anyone building a vintage character display

Available at Northam Secondhand
232 Fitzgerald St, Northam
Open from 10am daily
Shipping available Australia-wide.