190 - HATTORI TADASABURO: A FINE AND RARE PLIQUE-À-JOUR ‘BLOSSOMING CHRYSANTHEMUMS’ MINIATURE VASE

HATTORI TADASABURO: A FINE AND RARE PLIQUE-À-JOUR ‘BLOSSOMING CHRYSANTHEMUMS’ MINIATURE VASE By Hattori Tadasaburo (d. 1939), signed Hattori Japan, early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Exquisitely crafted, the diminutive baluster body supported on a subtly splayed foot and rising through high, rounded shoulders to a short, gently waisted neck and a broad circular mouth, both ends fitted with silver mounts. The translucent body delicately worked in fine silver wire and vibrant polychrome enamels, with a profusion of blossoming chrysanthemums borne on leafy stems, their overlapping petals and foliage meticulously delineated against a subtly red-suffused ground. The luminous enamels create a striking interplay of color and light, lending the densely arranged blossoms an exceptional jewel-like brilliance. The recessed base bearing the signature HATTORI. HEIGHT 9.1 cm WEIGHT 72 g Condition: Excellent condition, particularly remarkable for this type, which is frequently affected by extensive cracking. Only a few minor, superficial cracks just below the mouth of the vase. An exceptionally well-preserved example, with no visible damage or evidence of restoration under UV light. Hattori Tadasaburo (d. 1939) was among the foremost cloisonné enamel masters of Nagoya. Trained under Tsukamoto Jinemon, he established his own studio in 1888 and rapidly gained recognition for the exceptional refinement and technical sophistication of his work. Together with Kawade Shibataro, Hattori played an important role in the development of the moriage technique, becoming particularly renowned for achieving unusually high and sculptural relief through successive applications of enamel. He was also a leading practitioner of the technically demanding plique-à-jour technique. Hattori received numerous distinctions at major international exhibitions, including a medal at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, bronze and silver medals at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, and a silver medal at the Liege Exposition in 1905, before exhibiting at the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910In 1914, the Official Guide of the Imperial Japanese Government Railways named him among Japan's leading enamel masters, alongside Namikawa Yasuyuki, Namikawa Sosuke, Ando, and Ota. He was also among the few cloisonné artists appointed to the Imperial Household, and several of his presentation pieces bear the Imperial sixteen-petal chrysanthemum crest. Plique-à-jour, known in Japan as shotai shippo, is among the rarest and most technically demanding cloisonné techniques. Adapted from French practice around 1900, it involves applying fine silver wires and translucent enamels to a temporary copper body, which is carefully dissolved away in acid after the enamelling process, leaving the delicate enamel cells supported only by the silver wires, much like stained glass. The successive firings and subsequent removal of the metal foundation carried considerable risks of cracking and breakage, making the successful production of such delicate, three-dimensional vessels exceptionally challenging. The present miniature vase exemplifies the remarkable technical mastery of Meiji period enamellers, combining intricate silver wirework with a rich and luminous floral composition. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related plique-à-jour cloisonné enamel baluster vase decorated with chrysanthemums against a translucent pale green ground, dated 1900-1910, 12.3 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession no. EA1990.5. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related plique-à-jour cloisonné enamel vase with chrysanthemums, attributed to Hattori Tadasaburo, dated c. 1905, of almost identical size, 9 cm high, at Galerie Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 27 January 2022, Vienna, lot 359 (sold for EUR 3,792).