Japanese Edo Pr. Vases Large Arita Porcelain & Lacquer-Superb Quality 78cm H

Superb quality pair of very large Japanese Late Edo period Lacquer applied to Porcelain vases.  Exceptionally large the vase are 78cm high

Japanese lacquer vases from this period are highly prized fine art objects created by the master craftsmen of the Edo period who  transitioned by the end of the Edo period from making Samuri armour to to creating exquisite export and domestic goods. These vases sometimes combined natural wood or porcelain cores  with meticulous layers of urushi tree sap lacquer, often enriched with gold dust (maki-e) to make the decoration as can be seen in these vases. 

The vases are signed in Japanese "Kanji" script which roughly translates to "Made by Hichozan Shinpo". This was a famous trade mark of many of the highest quality Arita wares including the Fukagawa and the Mikawachi Kilns starting the late edo period and through the the Meiji period. It was the trademark of wealthy Nagasaki based merchant  and exporter Tashiro Monzaemon (1816-1900) The wares were exhibited in the Paris World Fair (1867 & 1879) and the Vienna International Exhibition (1873)

Hichozan Shinpo wares can be found in many important museum Japanese ceramic collections including the Mets Museum New York,  V&A- London  and Victoria Museum in Australia. 

In these vases the quality of the maki-e decoration is quite outstanding in these vases !!! The artist has used multiple techniques and materials including bronze powders to create this incredibly elaborate design. Four main panels one side black lacquer and the other side red lacquer of natural scenes with birds and very realistic trees. The sides show the incredible work in making the magnificent geometric patterns in gold black and red lacquers. I found these vases incredibly difficult to photograph and in reality they are far more impressive when seen directly.

We have a number of works from Hichozan Shinpo. Please see other listings