A 19th Century Meiji Period Pair of Cloisonné Vases

A fine late 19th century pair of cloisonné baluster form vases, enamelled with soft blue and pink and set upon an intricately decorated foot.

Traditionally, in Japan, cloisonné enamel was applied to small areas of artworks, sword fittings and architecture as decoration. This can be observed in this pair of vases. Their pink enamel bodies and their turquoise enamel necks remain unadorned, pure and simple; while the rim and foot of the pair is decorated with a band of carefully applied cloisonné. Having copied the technique from the Chinese, the Japanese quickly became specialists in the art of applying cloisonné enamel and by the 1830s the production of cloisonné enamel became one of Japan’s strongest markets.

Meiji Period