Eighteen cloisonné-enamel vessels


Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926) or Showa (1926-1989) era, early 20th centuryEach worked in silver wire, comprising a pair of rectangular vases decorated with an exotic bird perched on flowering branches of plum on a midnight-blue ground, each unsigned, each vase 15cm (5 7/8in) high; the third similarly decorated, unsigned; 15.5cm (6 1/8in) high; another pair of baluster vases decorated with three standing tanchozuru (red-crested cranes) on a blue ground, unsigned, each 18cm (7 1/16in) high; the sixth an ovoid vase decorated with a dragon holding a nyoi hoju (wish-granting jewel) coiled around the red ground, unsigned, 12.7cm (5in) high; the seventh and eighth a pair of slender pear-shaped vase decorated with spider chrysanthemums on a marine-blue ground, each unsigned, each 17.5cm (6 7/8in) high; the ninth a baluster vase with white buds among karakusa ('Chinese grasses') above shield-shaped panels enclosing ho-o (phoenixes) and writhing dragons, on a reddish-brown ground flecked with aventurine, signed on the base with the mark of Ando Jubei, 18cm (7 1/16in) high; another pair of small baluster vases similarly decorated on a green ground flecked with aventurine, unsigned, each 9cm (3½in) high; the twelfth a yellow vase unadorned save for vertical lines on the tall neck, signed in silver wire on the base with the mark of Ando Jubei, 22.2cm (8 3/8in) high, with a tomobako wooden storage box; the thirteenth and fourteenth forming another pair decorated with a matching design of a kingfisher flying above kohone (nuphar or spatterdock), each signed on the base with the mark of Adachi Kinjiro, each 23.3cm (9 1/8in) high; two globular koro (incense burner) decorated with repeated foliate motifs, one signed Kohara on the base, each approx., 12cm (4¾in) high; the seventeenth a small hexagonal vase decorated with auspicious objects, unsigned, 10.1cm (4in) high; the last probably not Japanese a miniature white-ground enamel vase, stamped 935 on the base, 7cm (2¾in) high. (21).