Mother (Belica) had a small ceramic figurine of a gentleman and a lady with “Made in Occupied Japan” stamped on the bottom. This sinister sounding provenance fascinated me, and I always kept track of the figurine’s whereabouts in Mother’s overwhelmingly cluttered home, crammed with objects collected and “rescued” over a lifetime (and according to Mamita “Mucha mierda.”)

After Mother passed away I became the proud owner of this charming pair, and over the years I have collected many pieces bearing the “Occupied Japan” pedigree—paying $2 to $8 or so for each—never more than that. They’re tacky but also quite lovely with a whiff of tragedy in the aftermath of a defeated nation.

“Occupied Japan” figures are a lingering memento to World War II and the period immediately following Japan’s unconditional surrender between August 15 1945 and April 28 1952. Here’s a little background from a website dedicated to the history of “OJ” collectables.

That millions should have paid with their lives in the war against Japan—soldiers in battle, innocent victims of atrocities, and the annihilation of split atoms falling from the sky—only to end up producing cheap souvenirs that would later be collected by people like me.

What’s the value of a ceramic dandy and his gal? Five bucks, ten? But as an artifact that bears the indelible stamp of a holocaust now fading from living memory? Priceless.