Heres what I have found out about AJW, this item, and it's marks in the past few months. Also including other hopefully on-topic comments.
The purple color is the exact same color seen on a few Lefton religous items. The brush strokes on Madonnas eyes are identical to what is seen on Lefton. Now I have to admit both Lefton (and other importers) and their Japanese manufacturers were not bashful about copying Old World designs. So design clues are not undisputable evidence of either European or Japanese origin. The thing is the design clues do not exclude possible Japanese origin either though. Weight is the same. Much of Japanese origin was lightweight, but some was not light. The best stuff for example. The way the bottom looks also is a design clue, and not commonly seen on Japanese wares, but not unheard of either. I may have missed mention of dimensions (another design clue), but they would be important as always.
During the 1950s there was one and one only Japanese manufacturer capable of producing an item of this detail. They made religous figurines (and other items) exclusively for Lefton and one other importer until the mid 1960s when the "exclusives" changed and ended.
The thing that is of real interest to me is the AJW. I am convinced AJW is AJ Weil who ran an importing company in the US starting in the 1950s sometime. He probably started off in the giftware business as a salesman or representative and worked his way up to be an importer and jobber, as many did. Mr. Lefton had the same career path for example. I first found the AJW silver label on Lefton items in the late 1990s and the label had remained unidentified since then. So I appreciate the mention of AJW here in this thread.
But I am always curious and still curious about AJW and the ink mark shown. It is very instructive, we just have to be able to interpret what exactly it is telling us. The word trademark is especially important as it has a specific legal meaning as well as a specific time we start seeing that word on items imported into the US of Japanese origin made after WW2. That starting time is 1953-54. Se we are basically looking at an item from the mid 1950s or so, in my opinion and experience.
So when did AJ Weil Importing begin? No doubt at a later date than AJ Weil's entry into the giftware business by a few years. We know in the 1950s but when in the 1950s? I want to know. I also want to confirm Weil was in Chicago. Both would be important clues to Weil's history in the giftware business. So you might have guessed I have some references. In this case I have a 1955-56 US Giftware Directory which lists importers, jobbers, representatives, and makers of all kinds of metal, glass, and ceramic giftware from the 1950s. And Weil is no where in it, not even as a rep or jobber. Instant conclusion he must have gotten his importing company started after that date, after 1955. The general geographical location where this item was found would be important to know and would speak to the issue of where to some degree, especially if near Chicago since that's where Lefton started also.
More info is needed about what Weil sold from his Importing Company. Did he sell Japanese ceramics and Czech glass? Or what exactly? It could be anything but probably some type of giftware. Obviously he sold a line of religous figurines as part of the giftware at one time.
There are still more answers to be found. More clues out there. But these are my thoughts. I hope they are helpful to someone.
c*me*4*lefton*info
