Japanese Wireless Musen Cloisonne Vase by Ando Jubei

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A Japanese cloisonne vase in bottle-form made by Ando Jubei (1876-1963) circa 1910-20s (late Meiji to Taisho period). The vase … Read more A Japanese cloisonne vase in bottle-form made by Ando Jubei (1876-1963) circa 1910-20s (late Meiji to Taisho period). The vase features a completely smooth surface without showing any wire. The technique is known as Musen (hidden wire) in Japanese and was notoriously difficult to perfect, especially with piece like this with a relatively large continuous surface. The beguiling effect is to use enamel to mimic porcelain or even jade. This vase, with its ultra smooth surface and soft yellow color (Yellow was often associated with Japanese imperial household), calls in mind the texture of mutton-fat jade (a type of nephrites with a warm lustrous hue that was cherished in China historically). Perhaps that was what intended in the artist's mind, to mimic the appearance of jade. The only decoration comes in the white ridged lines along the neck of the vase, giving it an art deco appeal. Both the mouth and base rim were covered in sterling silver and marked "pure silver" in Kanji. The base of the vase is branded with Ando Jubei Company's four-petal logo.
Japanese cloisonné wares are known as shippo-yaki and starting from the mid-19th century saw the production of very high-quality wares in the studios around Nagoya. One of the most renowned workshops was the Ando Cloisonné Company, founded by Ando Jubei (1876-1953). The cloisonné work from the workshop was considered the finest during the Meiji and Taisho Period. See less