189 - TOMIKI SHOBEI: A SUPERB TSUIKI-JIPPO GINBARI CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘INSECT DAIMYO PROCESSION’ VASE

TOMIKI SHOBEI: A SUPERB TSUIKI-JIPPO GINBARI CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘INSECT DAIMYO PROCESSION’ VASE By Tomiki Shobei, sealed Tomiki Japan, c. 1900, Meiji period (1868-1912) Of elegant baluster form, the gently tapering body rising to generously rounded shoulders and a short, waisted neck, the mouth and foot fitted with silver mounts. The exterior is masterfully decorated in luminous polychrome enamels with finely modeled tsuiki-jippo relief details against a shimmering ginbari ground, delicately stippled and shading from pale lavender and silvery pink at the shoulders to brilliant turquoise blue below. The elaborate composition depicts a whimsical daimyo procession of anthropomorphized grasshoppers, praying mantises, and wasps marching through flowering autumn grasses. The insects assume exaggerated human postures, carrying blossoms and long-stemmed plants as ceremonial standards, while others bear an insect cage serving as the palanquin of a feudal lord. The individually rendered insects are heightened by richly colored raised enamelwork, lending the animated scene an extraordinary sense of depth and movement. The base bears the impressed seal mark TOMIKI. HEIGHT 16.6 cm WEIGHT 288.7 g Condition: One tsuiki-jippo detail forming part of the body of a grasshopper has been repaired, detectable only under UV light examination. Otherwise, very good condition with minor wear and expected manufacturing irregularities. The silver mounts with small dents and light tarnishing. Tomiki Shobei was an accomplished cloisonné enamel maker active in Nagoya, one of the foremost centers of Japanese enamel production. He established his workshop in 1882 and gained international recognition for his sophisticated enamelwork, receiving awards at major international exhibitions, including Chicago in 1893, St. Louis in 1904, and Liège in 1905. His participation in the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900 is documented in the official exhibition catalogue, where he is listed among the Japanese exhibitors of cloisonné vases and incense burners. Tsuiki-jippo and ginbari: The mastery of relief and light. The present vase combines two highly sophisticated techniques of Japanese enameling. Tsuiki-jippo, or hammered cloisonné, involves the careful embossing or chasing of the metal foundation to create relief designs subsequently covered with enamel. Unlike conventional cloisonné, where the decoration generally remains flush with the surface, this method introduces a sculptural dimension, allowing the insects to emerge from the surrounding ground with remarkable vitality. Ginbari, literally 'covered with silver', employs a thin layer of silver foil beneath translucent enamel, producing exceptional luminosity as light penetrates the colored surface and is reflected by the metal beneath. Here, the finely stippled silver ground creates an almost iridescent effect, while the delicate gradation from lavender to turquoise lends the composition an ethereal, atmospheric quality. The combination of these techniques transforms the vase into a miniature three-dimensional painting, demonstrating the remarkable technical and artistic possibilities of Meiji-period cloisonné. The insect daimyo procession: A brilliant satire of feudal authority. The whimsical procession belongs to a tradition of Japanese pictorial satire in which insects parody the elaborate ceremonial journeys of feudal lords. Grasshoppers and mantises assume the roles of proud samurai, while wasps serve as porters and an insect cage replaces the lord’s palanquin. Beyond its playful charm, the subject subtly mocks the rigid hierarchies and ostentatious privileges of Tokugawa society. A closely related interpretation appears in Procession of Insects by Nishiyama Hoen (1804-1867), preserved in the British Museum, while the irreverent humor recalls the political caricatures of Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889). The present vase brilliantly translates this satirical tradition into cloisonné enamel, combining extraordinary technical refinement with wit and artistic imagination. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related ginbari cloisonné enamel vase by the same maker, 19.5 cm high, at Sotheby's, Masters of Enamel: The Collection of John and Muriel Okladek | Including Further Japanese Works of Art from the Meiji Period, 1868-1912, 3 November 2021, London, lot 105 (sold for GBP 1,516 or approx. EUR 2,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).