186 - † HATTORI TADASABURO: A LARGE AND FINE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BAMBOO LEAVES’ VASE

† HATTORI TADASABURO: A LARGE AND FINE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BAMBOO LEAVES’ VASE By Hattori Tadasaburo, signed Hattori Japan, early 20th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Elegantly formed, the elongated baluster body gently tapering toward the base and rising to high, rounded shoulders, a subtly waisted neck, and an everted circular mouth, both ends fitted with metal mounts. The exterior superbly decorated in silver-wire cloisonné enamels with areas of musen (wireless) technique, depicting a magnificent bamboo grove against a lustrous, pale celadon-green ground. A thick, segmented bamboo culm rises prominently through the composition, its broad stalk delicately shaded in graduated tones of emerald, turquoise, and pale green, flanked by slender shoots and gracefully arching branches laden with long, pointed leaves. The foliage is meticulously delineated in fine silver wire, the individual leaves rendered in subtly varying shades of green and blue, with selected passages executed in wireless enamel to achieve soft, painterly transitions of color. The underside bearing the incised signature HATTORI within a leaf-shaped reserve. HEIGHT 30.1 cm WEIGHT 1.1 kg Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. No visible restoration under UV light. Expected manufacturing irregularities, including light pitting and minuscule manufacturing-inherent losses to the enamels. Hattori Tadasaburo (d. 1939) was one of the leading cloisonné enamel artists of the Meiji period, celebrated for his technical innovations and exceptional refinement. Trained under Tsukamoto Jinemon, he established his own studio in Nagoya in 1888 and gained international recognition through major exhibitions, receiving a medal at the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, silver and bronze medals at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, and a silver medal at the Liège Exposition in 1905. He also exhibited at the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910. Together with Kawade Shibataro, Hattori was instrumental in the development of the demanding moriage technique, in which successive layers of enamel are built up to create sculptural relief. By 1914, he was recognized as one of Japan's five leading enamel masters, alongside Namikawa Yasuyuki, Namikawa Sosuke, Ando, and Ota, as recorded in the Official Guide of the Imperial Japanese Government Railways. His works were also commissioned as Imperial presentation pieces, reflecting the esteem in which his craftsmanship was held. The present vase exemplifies a particularly refined and painterly aspect of Hattori's artistry. Rather than relying on the pronounced relief of moriage, the artist achieves depth through finely controlled silver-wire outlines, subtle wireless passages, and beautifully graduated enamels. The graceful arrangement of the bamboo, with its broad, softly shaded stalk and delicately overlapping leaves, is striking in its naturalism and compositional restraint. Symbolizing resilience, integrity, and longevity in Japanese art, the bamboo motif is here rendered with a sensitivity that transforms a familiar subject into an elegant and harmonious study of nature. Literature comparison: Compare a related pair of musen and moriage cloisonné enamel vases decorated with fruiting gingko-trees, by Hattori Tadasaburo, dated c. 1905, 36.9 cm high, illustrated in Meiji no Takara: Treasures of Imperial Japan - The Nasser D. Khalili Collection, The Kibo Foundation, 1995, Enamel, no. 68. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.