The latest in a long line of events held as part of Italy Year in Japan is a show of porcelain by Richard-Ginori, an Italian company that has been molding, glazing and firing since 1735.
Sponsored by embassies and businesses, national-themed years try to raise awareness of the culture and products of the featured nation by appealing to and building on popular stereotypes. However, although Italy is famed for its food, wines, stylish fashion, art and history, it is less well-known for its porcelain, an area where public perceptions are dominated by England's Wedgwood and Germany's Meissen.
Indeed, many of the earlier works, like the blue-and-white plates from the 1740s decorated in the so-called Dutch style, are clearly derivative -- but the essence of the early porcelain industry was its copycat quality.