A RARE JAPANESE CLOISONNE KORO (INCENSE BURNER) BY NAMIKAWA YASUYUKI (1845-1927)

A RARE JAPANESE CLOISONNE KORO (INCENSE BURNER) BY NAMIKAWA YASUYUKI (1845-1927)

MEIJI ERA, C.1910-15

The square-section body raised on four short feet, delicately decorated with two small birds flying towards flowering branches of prunus, the scene rendered in polychrome enamels and gold wires, the sakura blossoms and buds in various shades of pink; with silver and shakudo mounts and cover, the lid with an openwork design of a flower with radiating petals; the base with the four-character mark for Kyoto Namikawa in silver wires, 9.5cm. (2)

Cf. R Singer, Polished to Perfection: Japanese Cloisonné from the Collection of Donald K. Gerber and Sueann E. Sherry, p.16, where a related koro with silver and gold wires is illustrated.

See Japanese Works of Art, 14th November 2018, lots 1014 & 1015 for two cloisonné trays sold in these rooms bearing the same signature. It appears that this mark was used for the best pieces produced by Namikawa Yasuyuki's workshops, and possibly for those made for international exhibitions.