The elegant silver wire decoration of wisteria emerges from the stylised clouds on the shoulder of the vase. The rim (Japanese: fukurin) and foot-ring are of the blue-black copper/gold alloy known in Japanese as shakudo: the inner neck of the vase is of gilded copper. The careful placement of the cloisonné enamel design (in silver and gold wire) makes particular emphasis of the large areas of pure enamels which, by this time, the cloisonné manufacturers of Japan were confident in using to complement finely detailed decoration. This elegant unsigned vase was recognised as one of his own works by the Nagoya-based cloisonné artist Ando Jubei on the occasion of his visit to the V&A in 1910. Ando’s visit to the V&A took place at the time of the Japan British Exhibition at White City, where the Ando Company had a stand. Museum records of the time show that the V&A rejected the offer Jubei made of ten contemporary works.

Cloisonné enamels are one of the great glories of Meiji period (1868-1912) craftsmanship. From around 1880-1910, when the Japanese government was actively encouraging the manufacture of high-quality crafts for export to the West, they reached their pinnacle of elegance and sophistication: this has become known as the 'Golden Age' of Japanese cloisonné. Cloisonné objects featured prominently at international exhibitions in which the Japanese were regular participants from 1862. In later years cloisonné enamelled objects were often presented as official gifts by the Imperial family and many such objects were produced by Ando's Nagoya-based company.