Japanese Meiji Musen Cloisonné Bamboo Vase attributed to Ando Jubei, 1900s

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An elegant Japanese cloisonné enamel vase dating to the late Meiji period, circa 1900, attributed to the workshop of Ando … Read more An elegant Japanese cloisonné enamel vase dating to the late Meiji period, circa 1900, attributed to the workshop of Ando Jubei and decorated with a beautifully naturalistic composition of bamboo against a luminous white ground. Of elongated baluster form, the vase presents a restrained yet highly sophisticated composition of overlapping bamboo stems and foliage rendered in graduated shades of emerald green, turquoise, teal and deep blue-green. The subtle tonal variations give the bamboo remarkable depth while maintaining the serene simplicity characteristic of sophisticated Japanese decorative arts of the period. The decoration is executed in the manner of musen shippo, or wireless cloisonné, a technically demanding development in Japanese enamelling in which the traditional metal wires defining the design are removed or greatly reduced during production. The resulting decoration has a fluid, painterly quality quite different from conventional wired cloisonné. The bamboo motif was particularly suited to this technique, allowing the slender leaves and segmented stems to appear almost as though painted directly onto the softly coloured enamel ground. Against the creamy white background, the restrained palette gives the vase a distinctly modern appearance despite its Meiji-period origins. The gently flared mouth is finished with a silver-coloured metal rim, complemented by a matching protective mount around the foot. These crisp metallic borders provide an elegant architectural frame to the otherwise organic decoration. The sophisticated use of wireless enamel and the restrained botanical composition are characteristic of high-quality Japanese cloisonné produced around the turn of the 20th century. The vase is attributed stylistically to the Ando Jubei workshop, one of the most celebrated Japanese cloisonné manufacturers of the Meiji and subsequent periods. A refined example of Japanese decorative art whose clean lines and botanical subject allow it to sit equally successfully within an Asian art collection or a contemporary interior.

Maker: Attributed to Ando Jubei Date: Circa 1900 Period: Meiji Period Origin: Japan Style: Japanese Meiji / Musen Cloisonné Material: Cloisonné enamel, silver-coloured metal mounts Measurements: Height: 10 in. (25.4 cm) Width: approximately 5 in. (12.7 cm) Depth: approximately 5 in. (12.7 cm) Weight: approximately 1.1 kg See less