Featured Crystal Palace Asian vases

Hi all! I have so many things to ask about but thought I should ask about this even though it isn’t mine . My parents have a pair that were given to them by my grandparents in the 80s. The card that was sent along says that they were purchased by my great-grandmother at a exhibition by China at the Crystal Palace (in their neighbourhood). She died in 1920 at the age of 50 so they are no newer than that.

They are about 8 inches high and pretty thin - light goes through. I would love to know anything about them - origin, age, etc - to tell my dad. Honestly, they have always looked more Japanese to me.

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi, you are right, they are Japanese and I do not think they are earlier than 1930s, despite the card...

 

Interesting, it appears to be Japanese Kutani porcelain with moriage detail (which is more of a Satsuma technique). This style was produced during the inter-war period when the Japanese economy was in trouble. I think it is just possible that it could fit with the date given by your family, Satsuma moriage is recorded back to the 1920's, so it may have been purchased new as souvenir ware as the time. The mark on the bottom is probably 本 which can be translated as 'present', which would fit with it being giftware at an exhibition.

I haven't got this mark in my Kutani database yet, would you be ok with me adding it in, thank you?

 

I am so sorry for the delay! Of course, please do add the mark to your database! Small payment for such helpful information. Many thanks!

 

This vase might best be descibed as Kyoto Satsuma, but was possibly made or decorated and exported by Maruni & Co in Kobe Japan. They ceased operating in until just before world war 2 while operating during the inter war period, Maruni & co made many many satusma moriage tea sets and Vases much like yours. they also specialised in white porcelain satsuma style ware.


As Ce Bca has pointed out there is a hyrbid of Kutani and Satsuma or a japanese Kutani Porcelain.


Another manufactuer of white porcelain satsuma was Kyokuzan which ironically also used the Kutani and Satsuma mark together. This is early 20th century. Moriage has been around since the late 19th century but I am not aware it was around as far back as 1851.


Kyokuzan





The Great Exhibition at Crystal palace in London was in 1851 and was never run again.





Your Great Grandmother who sadly died in 1920 at the age of 50 would have been too young to purchase this vase at the Great Exhibition. So I think you grandparents might have exaggerated or more likley were being humourous as the vase is not especially of any great quality. The darker red colour and the manner the moriage is applied would be more 20th century. It cannot be 1851 as Kyoto Satsuma Moriage was not manufactured in this style in 1851. The vase is early to mid 20th century.

 

Thanks for reviving your thread. I hadn't seen your lovely vase the first time around. I don't know enough to add information, though.

 

Just to note on the above, The Great Exhibition was in 1851, but there were many lesser exhibitions and events subsequent to this including concerts, trade missions etc. So this may have come from one of these.

 

Yes, I just realised. Art exhibitons or Art fairs and trade fairs and other events, I just had the Idea of these international countries attending an exhibiton in my head. Art exhibitons which i never connected with, were around long before these international exhibitions. Not sure why I got stuck on International exhibitons.

There was only ever been 2 international exhibitions in the Uk and the Exhibition of 1851 at the crystal palace was one and the International exhibiton at Kensignton London in 1862 was the other, the Uk has not has one since.

Paris has an international Exhibition in 1867 'Exposition Universelle' and it was at this exhibition that Satsuma ware was introduced and to great success. What followed was big business for Japan.

If we are going way back to Asian art and potentially the 19th century, then international exhibitions spring to mind because I know Japan made great use of them to commercialise and export their pottery.

The light green enamel was one of the earliest colors used in moriage which is on this vase but the technique is very 20th century. I guess the vase has to be older than 1920 based on the OP's Great Grandmother.

It is an interesting vase to have such a history, I guess the next stage would be to find out when during the early 20th century did Japan have an exhibition in the Crytal Palace and as this is satsuma, a pottery exhibition and possibly even a Satsuma exhibition. That would help narrow it down. It is not chinese and China would never deal with Japanse ware at their own exhibition so it has to be a japanese exhibition or an import/Export agent.

Earliest - Satsuma Moriage 1890
1890- 1913
World War 1 July 1914- November 1918
1919- 1920
1920 Great Grandmother Died.

I guess it could be an importer like London Alphonso

 

I am not sure this is a Kutani mark.

I think this mark might be Hon from the word NICHI HON meaning Nippon. NIHON.

This is the backmark from the Vase



This is one of the many slight variations in how HON is drawn.





In retrospect it might mean this one left, and maybe on the other vase it has an opposite angle meaning this right.

Edit, yes in fact it might mean this right,
正しい
Tadashī

however I am used to seeing this script for right side
右 that is usually what i find on my japanese vase. So perhaps it might mean right side, and Japan. Or This one Right.

Would be curious what is on the underside of the other vase?

Owliza would it be possible you can confirm there is a different signature on the base of the other vase please.

 

Definitely Japanese . As others have said 20th century

 

wow! Thanks all for jumping back on this after so long! I gave it a quick skim and will give it a proper read after I write this quick reply. I am sure the show my granddad mentions in the note was one of the smaller shows in the 20th century. Their house was in the Sydenham neighbourhood quite close to the grounds to which it was moved. @Francisco G Kempton I can check and photograph the bottom of the second vase tomorrow when I visit my folks.