180 - NAMIKAWA YASUYUKI: A MAGNIFICENT BLACK-GROUND CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BLOSSOMING PRUNUS’ MINIATURE VASE

NAMIKAWA YASUYUKI: A MAGNIFICENT BLACK-GROUND CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BLOSSOMING PRUNUS’ MINIATURE VASE By Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927), signed Kyoto Namikawa Japan, c. 1900-1910, Meiji period (1868-1912) Published & Exhibited: Malcolm Fairley Ltd. (ed.), Japanese Enamels of the Meiji Era, 15-26 June 1998, p. 17, no. 13. Superbly crafted, the small baluster body tapering elegantly toward the base, with high rounded shoulders rising to a short neck, the mouth and foot fitted with silvered-metal rims. The exterior is exquisitely decorated in vivid polychrome enamels outlined in minute silver wire with flowering prunus branches, some buds still tightly closed while others open into delicate blossoms, heralding the end of winter and imminent arrival of spring. The sparse composition leaves broad expanses of the lustrous jet-black ground uninterrupted, its remarkable depth enlivened by subtle flashes of midnight blue. The underside signed KYOTO NAMIKAWA on a square silver tablet. The naturalistic design, spacious composition, exceptionally fine wirework, and extensive monochrome ground are characteristic of Namikawa’s mature production and support a dating to c. 1900-1910. HEIGHT 8.1 cm WEIGHT 52.1 g Provenance: Malcolm Fairley Ltd., London. A private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. Condition: Excellent condition with no damage or restoration (examined under UV light). Only very minor manufacturing irregularities. The mounts with minor expected wear. Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927) is widely regarded as one of the foremost Japanese cloisonné artists of the Meiji period. He began producing cloisonné during the early 1870s and rapidly distinguished himself through the extraordinary precision of his wirework and his continuous experimentation with enamel colors, textures, and firing techniques. Around 1878-1879, he came into contact with the German chemist Gottfried Wagener (1831-1892), whose expertise in ceramic pigments and firing technology contributed to Namikawa’s development and refinement of increasingly clear transparent and opaque enamels. Among Namikawa’s greatest technical achievements was the development of the celebrated semi-transparent mirror-black enamel that became a hallmark of his mature work. Producing such an extensive monochrome ground was exceptionally demanding. The powdered enamel had to be carefully laid, repeatedly fired and replenished, and finally subjected to a laborious process of grinding and polishing until the surface became perfectly smooth and lustrous. Large uninterrupted areas were particularly unforgiving: even a slight miscalculation during firing could result in uneven fusion, dullness, bubbling, or minute air holes that would remain conspicuous across the polished surface. Namikawa’s mastery of this difficult black enamel allowed him to create extraordinarily deep, flawless grounds against which his brilliantly colored flowers, birds, and naturalistic motifs appear almost jewel-like. Namikawa achieved significant international recognition at the great world expositions, receiving awards at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 and the Paris Expositions Universelles of 1878 and 1889. He was likewise honored repeatedly at Japan’s National Industrial Expositions, ultimately receiving a total of 31 prizes at exhibitions in Japan and abroad. In 1896, together with the unrelated Namikawa Sosuke (1847-1910), Yasuyuki was appointed Imperial Household Artist (Teishitsu Gigeiin); the two were the only cloisonné artists ever to receive this prestigious designation. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related black-ground cloisonné enamel vase, decorated with blossoming cherry branches, by Namikawa Yasuyuki, dated 1905-1910, 10.6 cm high, illustrated by Oliver Impey and Malcolm Fairley (eds.), The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, Meiji no Takara: Treasures of Imperial Japan, vol. 3, Enamels, 1994, no. 28. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related cloisonné enamel vase, decorated with blossoming prunus branches, by Namikawa Yasuyuki, dated c. 1900, 10.5 cm high, at Christie’s London, 22 November 2001, lot 111 (sold for GBP 5,875 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).