Overview to Backmarks
The Backmarks/Backstamps appearing on this site are referenced from the 'Noritake Chronology of Backmarks' and other resources provided by Noritake Australia and Noritake Co Japan Limited.

Information and images on this site are copyright of their respective owners and are used with permission.

Due to the fluid nature of the information being provided, information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication unless otherwise stated.

Please be aware that registration date does not indicated that the backmark may have been in use before official registration process of the mark was achieved. Many backmarks were applied for registration, but due to Civil and or Political unrest during various time-lines, the applicant may have failed to achieve Official Registration of the Backmark, hence there may no longer be any official records which can confirm specific information. Therefore only an approximate date is known.

I have been advised by Noritake Australia that some Noritake Backmarks/Backstamps have been used for special events, or have been repeatedly used over various time-lines on various utility ware items. Many of these marked items did not have a pattern number or any information, which could help us identify the exact year of production. It is strongly recommended before dating a piece of Noritake from the Backmark alone, that users of this information take the time and review the shape/s of various items to identify the period they were produced.

Repeatedly used Backmarks/Backstamps over various time-lines
There are (three) 3 common marks which were used for extended periods during the timeline. These were the Noritake Maruki Marks, the M in the Wreath Marks and the RC marks.



In use 1905
Blue in Colour
Known to have been used up till 1939


In use 1920's
Green in Colour


In use 1949
Vermillion in Colour


In use 1949
Green In Colour







Blue Maruki Mark was in use up until 1939 and the Green 1911 registered Japan Maruki mark was in use up till 1952.

Noritake M in the Wreath Made in Japan in both Red and Green were in use up to around 1937/8
RC Made in Japan and RC JAPAN are both backmarks which have been recorded on porcelain bodies used up till the late 1950's.

The Original RC backmark dates back to 1908 when it was first registered. The details of the Registration are - Reg. No.0033949
Applied for: 22/08/1908
Reg: Date 10/10/1908
Royal Crockery meaning 'Quality China'.
The symbol, symbolized the intention to excecute a balanced management

There are over 30 different variations of the RC Backmarks which do not include the Rose China backmarks which were later used post War in the Pacific period.