Vintage Nanco Drip-Glaze Skull Mug Rare Mid-Century Japan Ceramic 7fl oz

Rare, museum-worthy, perfectly usable vintage Nanco skull mug — a tasteful intersection of mid-century novelty and sophisticated gothic decor. This piece features the classic brown & white drip glaze, a high-gloss finish, and the stylized skull face that makes it instantly covetable to skull-mug collectors, tiki and vintage Japanware enthusiasts, Halloween curators, and ceramic lovers alike. The eyes and nasal cavities are hollow in the underside (a distinctive manufacturing detail on many examples), giving the piece an eerie depth and the option to be used as a small lamp or votive accent in styled displays. 

Every collector recognizes the appeal: it’s mid-century Japan production marketed by Nanco, a common exporter/distributor of novelty ceramics in the 1950s–1970s — which places this mug squarely in the highly collectible postwar novelty category. Examples of this mug and similar Nanco Japan skull ceramics appear in specialty tiki and vintage ceramic references.