Vase
1850-1880 (made)
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This decorative cloisonné vase is one of a pair (Museum no.1273-1886). The eggshell blue enamel ground is decorated with copper wires within which coloured enamels have been inlaid. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. The abstract border motifs are in Chinese style and the rims of the vase have been gilded.
Time
Before the early 1840s Japanese enamelling on metal had generally been restricted to small decorative pieces of inlay into other metal objects. By about 1860 larger-scale wares were being produced with designs based on Chinese prototypes. These were increasingly decorated with naturalistic scenes including animals, insects and plants. Objects such as this vase were exported to the West, where they in turn influenced manufacturers such as Elkingtons.
People
This vase was part of an enormous group of objects (although only a few of them were Japanese) bequeathed to the V&A in 1885 by Joshua Dixon, a successful cotton merchant. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.'
This decorative cloisonné vase is one of a pair (Museum no.1273-1886). The eggshell blue enamel ground is decorated with copper wires within which coloured enamels have been inlaid. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. The abstract border motifs are in Chinese style and the rims of the vase have been gilded.
Time
Before the early 1840s Japanese enamelling on metal had generally been restricted to small decorative pieces of inlay into other metal objects. By about 1860 larger-scale wares were being produced with designs based on Chinese prototypes. These were increasingly decorated with naturalistic scenes including animals, insects and plants. Objects such as this vase were exported to the West, where they in turn influenced manufacturers such as Elkingtons.
People
This vase was part of an enormous group of objects (although only a few of them were Japanese) bequeathed to the V&A in 1885 by Joshua Dixon, a successful cotton merchant. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.'
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cloisonné enamels on copper with gold rims |
| Brief description | Cloisonné vase, enamels on copper with gold rims, Japan, 1850-1880. |
| Physical description | Cloisonné vase, eggshell blue enamel ground decorated with copper wires with coloured enamels inlays. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. The abstract border motifs are in Chinese style and the rims of the vase have been gilded. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
CLOISONNÉ VASES, Japanese and British This vase, made by the British firm of Elkington & co., displays Japanese techniques as well as motifs. Cloisonné, in which patterns are created with coloured enamels outlined by wires, was often used on British objects made in the Japanese style in the late 19th century. Japanese vases like the one on the right were collected and studied by British manufacturers.(27/06/2003) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon, accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This decorative cloisonné vase is one of a pair (Museum no.1273-1886). The eggshell blue enamel ground is decorated with copper wires within which coloured enamels have been inlaid. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. The abstract border motifs are in Chinese style and the rims of the vase have been gilded. Time Before the early 1840s Japanese enamelling on metal had generally been restricted to small decorative pieces of inlay into other metal objects. By about 1860 larger-scale wares were being produced with designs based on Chinese prototypes. These were increasingly decorated with naturalistic scenes including animals, insects and plants. Objects such as this vase were exported to the West, where they in turn influenced manufacturers such as Elkingtons. People This vase was part of an enormous group of objects (although only a few of them were Japanese) bequeathed to the V&A in 1885 by Joshua Dixon, a successful cotton merchant. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.' |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1273A-1886 |
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| Record created | May 29, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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