Antique Kyoto Satsuma Kinkozan Japanese Pottery Atomic Yellow Bottle Flower Vase

Large Awaji pottery vase with sprigged chrysanthemums and green and white glazes, circa 1930. Measures: 18 1/4" high, 9 1/2" diameter. Excellent condition.

Vintage Awaji Pottery Art Deco atomic yellow with two little angular handles on the flattened shoulder. Nice form and striking color. Circa 1930. Impressed marks. 7" high, 7" diamete...

A large Japanese ceramic vase from the end of Meiji period circa 1890-1910s by Kinkozan (1645-1927). One of the largest studio manufacturers of the export ceramics at the time based in Kyoto. In the typical style of satsuma made at the turn of 20th century, the vase is elaborately decorated with a rather unusual kinran-de (gold paint) and green enamel highlight on a mottled brown background. The painterly decoration depicts a large seasonal floral arrangement in a circular fashion. Besides the obviously superb craftsmanship, what sets this particular vase apart from many lower quality and mass-produced pieces is its tone-on-tone color pallet that is visually somber and the small and sensitive details that heralds the change of the seasons. When the viewer goes beyond the first casual glimpse of the blossom and foliage, one would notice that on the edges of certain leaves as well as along the stalks, there accumulates a very thin layer of the white dust that represents the frost. The flower in bloom are chrysanthemums. Despite of being splendid, they are the messengers of the autumn. The large lotus leaf was subtly rendered in a bended and slightly withered manner, just past its prime. Although the lotus is still in bloom, the prominent seed pod indicates it may be the last for the season. The sentimental capture of the change of the seasons is not unusual in Japanese art. This vase poetically represents such a subtle transition from summer to fall, perhaps depicting the very first frost. The neck of the vase is also slightly unusual with two rolled rings...

the body of this small marvelous vase is painted with a scene of a puppet show vendor with his wood backpack, on top of the backpack there are toys and dolls, he is surrounded with a group of 6 children, and on the background you can see a village. on the other side of the vase there is an amazing painting of flowers and on the sides there are two amazing strong pine trees, the amorphous background is decorated in a "Tortoiseshell" color and design that gives it a real character and which is quite rare to see on satsuma pottery. all the vase is over richly overpainted over the glaze with gold, which gives it its depth and realism. signed Kyoto Kinkozan zo, and sealed Kinkozan zo Kyoto’s Satsuma: The painting technique used in Kyoto’s Satsuma-style ware is said to be the invention of the sixth generation Kinkōzan Sōbei (1824–1884). The Kinkōzan were a famous family of Kyoto Awataguchi potters who made ceramics that were used at Shōren'in, a temple closely tied to the imperial family, and by the shoguns of the Edo government. In fact the shogun is said to have granted them the name Kinkōzan. With the upheavals at the end of the Edo period, however, and the reforms of the subsequent Meiji government, the potters lost their traditional patrons and had to develop new markets. Just at that time, the visit of a certain Westerner is said to have decided them to embark on overseas trade. By 1870, they had perfected Kyō Satsuma...