PIGEON BLOOD GINBARI VASE, BIRDS, BAMBOO, SILVER RIM

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PIGEON BLOOD GINBARI VASE, BIRDS, BAMBOO, SILVER RIM

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Sold Date: 05/22/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

Our appealing old ginbari (silver foil or basse-taille) cloisonne vase features a traditional motif of short-tailed birds amidst bamboo canes. The sensitively embossed scene unfolds on a sharkskin-textured ground beneath a dense, luxurious coat of translucent akasuke (pigeon blood) glaze. Of ample girth and significant weight for its size, this sparkling globular example of the ancient Japanese art has sufficient signs of age to suggest it may have been made before 1940. Unsigned, it is typical of wares by early makers such as Nekka, who exported under impermanent labels, and who seem to have been absorbed into larger companies such as Ando and Sato after 1950.

SIZE: Five inches high, and about 15.75 inches around the widest circumference.

CONDITION: Quite good overall. No discernable cracks or chips in the exterior glaze. The rims were deeply tarnished when the vase was acquired but have held up well enough under labor-intensive polishing to suggest they're probably Asian-standard silver, which traditionally is about .800 fine. The rims are gently dimpled in spots and retain light traces of the tarnish buildup as a result. Minor scratching of metal and glaze from use, as well as a peppering of pinpricks on some surfaces, are all consistent with estimated age and normal manufacturing processes of that period. The vase apparently was used at one time to hold an aquatic plant, as a buildup of lime is evident inside the neck at the water line. Examples of these issues are shown to the extent possible in accompanying images, but their presence against such a gleaming exterior has proven challenging to photograph. Please examine the photos carefully