Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Japan, Room 45, The Toshiba Gallery

Vase

ca. 1875-80 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The copper body has an applied silver rim, neck-ring and deep, footed base plate. The turquoise enamel ground is decorated with chrysanthemum, hydrangea, gentiana (just visible on the lower right) and iris (just visible on the left) in silver yusen polychrome shaded enamels. The flowers represent all of the seasons except winter. The neck is decorated with geometric floral shippo motifs, and the shoulders with stylised paulownia (kiri) leaves, karakusa scrolls and a geometric band. The base carries a silver plate engraved with four-character signature Kyoto Namikawa. The simple shape and muted colours of this vase are representative Yasuyuki's early work.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cloisonné enamel in silver<i> yusen</i> (with wires) polychrome shaded enamels.
Brief description
Cloisonné enamel vase decorated with flowers and geometric patterns, mark of Namikawa Yasuyuki, Kyoto, Japan, c.1875-80.
Physical description
Vase with turquoise enamel ground decorated with chrysanthemum, hydrangea, gentiana and iris, which represent all the seasons except winter, in silver wire and polychrome shaded enamels. With the mark of Namikawa Yasuyuki. The vase has a copper body with an applied silver rim, neck-ring and base-plate.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5cm
  • Width: 5cm
Content description
crysanthemum, hydrangea, gentia
Marks and inscriptions
(With the mark of Namikawa Yasuyuki)
Gallery label
Vase with chrysanthemums and geometric borders and patterns 1875-80 Signed ‘Kyoto Namikawa’ for Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845–1927) Kyoto Copper with cloisonné enamels, silver wires; silver rims Edwin Davies Gift Museum no. FE.67-2011
Credit line
Given by Edwin Davies
Summary
The copper body has an applied silver rim, neck-ring and deep, footed base plate. The turquoise enamel ground is decorated with chrysanthemum, hydrangea, gentiana (just visible on the lower right) and iris (just visible on the left) in silver yusen polychrome shaded enamels. The flowers represent all of the seasons except winter. The neck is decorated with geometric floral shippo motifs, and the shoulders with stylised paulownia (kiri) leaves, karakusa scrolls and a geometric band. The base carries a silver plate engraved with four-character signature Kyoto Namikawa. The simple shape and muted colours of this vase are representative Yasuyuki's early work.
Bibliographic references
  • Japanese Cloisonne Irvine, Gregory. Japanese Cloisonné. (London:V&A Publications, 2006), p. 118.
  • Japanese Cloisonne Enamels Irvine, Gregory. Japanese Cloisonné Enamels. (London: V&A Publishing, 2011). pl. 34.
Other number
ED 301 - Edwin Davies collection number
Collection
Accession number
FE.67-2011

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Record createdFebruary 16, 2011
Record URL
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