Otagiri is a name many collectors recognize. "Otagiri" is actually a trademark. The company name is Otagiri Mercantile Company, Inc. or OMC. (Otagiri, the company, and OMC are used interchangeably.) The company was an importer and a distributor of porcelain, stoneware, and giftware in the San Francisco area from 1954-1994. The products were made in Japan and were imported for distribution and sold to high end department stores and gift shops. Otagiri products were handcrafted and handpainted.
The company hired talented artisans to design its products. Among the artists who designed products for Otagiri are: Kurt R. Kress, Bob Harrison, Angela Ackerman, Wendy Morgan, Curtis-Swan, Tracy Flickinger, Tom Taylor, Linda Pickens, Mary Hughes, and Mary Ann Baker. There are many more, but these names are the ones I have personally come across. OMC products were designed for Gigson Greetings and San Francisco Music Box, as well as many others.
OMC was one of the original manufacturers of ceramic Tiki mugs. OMC produced the most Tiki mugs in the 1960s and 1970s but was bought out by Enesco in 1994. Registered in NYC and San Francisco. Recognized by its gold diamond shaped sticker with OMC.
