Susan,
 I'm by no means an expert on porcelain identification, but I think it could 
be quite tricky to identify Japanese vs. Bavarian without back-marks, which 
it seems you don't have on your site. Unless the rim sherds are identifiable 
as having a known motif that you can place to a reference, it could be 
difficult, because the export markets mimic each other stylistically in 
order to compete for the same business. To complicate matters, I think that 
Noritake porcelain was frequently exported as blanks and decorated in the 
U.S., etc. If you can identify the vessel form, I think certain 
European-style teacups, for instance, are only produced in Japan after WWII, 
which would make yours European. 
 As a quick reference to oriental porcelain, have you ever looked at the 
website www.gotheborg.com <http://www.gotheborg.com> ? It's a collector's 
site, but is pretty informative as a starting point. 
 Good luck!
 --Ariadne.

 On 8/29/05, Susan Walter <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
> 
> Aug. 29, 2005
> 
> Hi,
> I have a site dating into the 1930s, with a lot of porcelain. Much of it 
> is small fragments with decal decoration. I have some Japanese, some 
> Bavarian. I am crosseyed and nearly crazy from looking through Collector and 
> Schiffer books.
> 
> Does anyone know of a way to differentiate Japanese from European produced 
> porcelains? Or good references?
> 
> To clarify my question, I am talking about small DECAL decorated RIM 
> sherds of PORCELAIN.
> 
> Thanks,
> S. Walter
>