Dishes like this were produced in the 1950s, just after WW2, and were sold in “Dime Stores” like Woolworth’s. They were popular as decorative items, often used on a vanity for small jewelry, or in a living room on an occasional table. They often mimicked pieces produced by “name brand” companies.

Yes, post WWII Japan, purely decorative, tidbit dishes, nut dishes, some for use at a dressing table to keep one’s what-nots in. Quality is what sets the value in them. You’ll have to do a search for Made in Japan dishes and see what you find.

Thanks for the responses.

In the stuff I looked up last night, I thought it would be 1930s because of this comment.

Plates marked “Nippon” or “Japan” predate American occupation. The former signifies an item made no later than the 1920s and the latter typifies china made just before the war. The word “Occupied” always precedes “Japan” for items dated 1945 through 1952.

me again – I thought that after OJ, everything should say ‘Made in Japan’. Is that incorrect?

In 1949 the U.S. Custom Service decreed that “Occupied Japan”, “Made in Occupied Japan”, “Made in Japan” or just “Japan” where acceptable.

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I have a round covered box with the same ‘Violets’ and gold embellishment. Marked Japan, no other marks I had I D it as being from Japan in the early 1950’s I do think it is a fairly common pattern, and I’ve seen it in round covered boxes, square boxes,leaf shapes, rectangular trays and rounds trays even a small bud vase or two.