Early Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Vases

Early Pair of Japanese Cloisonne Vases
From our Japanese Collection, a very good, large, and older pair of Japanese cloisonne vases, late Edo to early Meiji Period, probably 1850-1875, executed with floral motifs including wisteria, peony, and chrysanthemum, along with small birds and butterflies, all set against a turquoise blue ground upon a lobed, melon-shaped form.
This is an attractive and quite sizable pair of early cloisonne that illustrates the evolution of this art form just prior to the Golden Age, when the Japanese finally perfected the technique of getting enamels to fully adhere in large open reserves without the necessity of exposed cloison wire. At the time of the creation of this early pair, they had not yet perfected this technique. For further reading on the subject, there are many good books on the market, but as a well-illustrated starter with helpful descriptions, we recommend Japanese Cloisonne by Gregory Irvine, from the V&A Museum Far Eastern Series 2006.
Size and Condition: 10 inches tall, 6 inches wide at the shoulder. Some pitting to the enamels typical on early wares, a dent to the rim of one vase, and some other minor losses commensurate with age.