Early to Mid-20th Century Japanese Satsuma-Style Hand-Painted Bird Vase

Details

Description

A large early-to-mid twentieth-century Japanese Satsuma-style export earthenware vase, circa 1930s–1950s, formed with a substantial baluster body, two scrolling side … Read more A large early-to-mid twentieth-century Japanese Satsuma-style export earthenware vase, circa 1930s–1950s, formed with a substantial baluster body, two scrolling side handles, a flared undulating mouth and a raised pedestal foot. The vessel is decorated in hand-painted polychrome enamels with gilt highlights over a finely crackled glazed ground.

The principal decoration features a stylized long-tailed bird perched among the branches of a tree within a landscape composition. Painted foliage and naturalistic details extend across the body, with the bird providing the dominant figural element. Gold-toned accents articulate selected decorative passages and architectural details of the form.

The scrolling handles rise from the shoulders and reinforce the vase's formal symmetry, while the flared irregular rim and pedestal foot create a vertically balanced profile. The finely crackled surface is integral to the decorative treatment and provides texture beneath the painted ornament.

At 15.5 inches high and 10 inches wide, the vase has substantial scale within Japanese export decorative pottery of the period. It was acquired directly from a Northern California collection.

Measurements: 15.5 in H × 10 in W × 8 in D

Weight: 4.6 lb

Style: Japanese, Asian, Traditional Japanese

Origin: Japan

Age: Circa 1930s–1950s See less