Pair Of Arita Porcelain Vases From Japan, Hichozan Shinpo Monzaemon, With Dragons, 19th Century

Pairof large Japanese baluster-shaped vases, made of polychrome porcelain from Arita, with rich floral decoration (notably colorful peony blossoms) on a blood-red background, enhanced by two white dragons in appliqué and relief intertwining around the body, signed Hichozan Shinpo (by Tashiro Monzaemon*), from the Meiji period, second half of the 19th century.

These vases are in good condition and are of remarkable quality. Signed on the bottom. Perfect examples of the European taste for Japanese-style decorative objects used to adorn their interiors beginning in the 1860s.

Please note: a few minor chips and chips in the glaze on the decorations (see red arrow, for example), some glazing imperfections, signs of age; see photos.

An honorary samurai and merchant, he founded the Hichōzan Shinpo company in Arita in 1856. The lord of Saga granted him the exclusive privilege of exporting porcelain from the port of Nagasaki when Japan reopened to the world. He established branches in Nagasaki, Yokohama, Shanghai, and even New York, and enjoyed a monopoly until the early 1870s. Tashiro Monzaemon was put in charge of the Arita section for the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair; there, he presented, among other pieces, monumental corolla vases, whose elegant form was met with great success. These porcelain pieces, produced exclusively for export, contributed to the stylistic and iconographic renewal of Arita.
See Ariana – Swiss Museum of Ceramics and Glass, Geneva

• Max. diameter 26 cm
• Neck diameter 11 cm
• Base diameter 15 cm
• Height 47 cm
• G30 550
• All photos are available at:
  www.antiques-delaval.com