HAYASHI KODENJI: A FINE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL VASE

HAYASHI KODENJI: A FINE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL VASE


By Hayashi Kodenji (1831-1915), signed Dai Nihon Hayashi Kodenji sei
Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912)

Of rounded square section, the baluster body supported on a short foot and rising to a slender waisted neck with flat everted rim, the rims of silver. The exterior finely decorated with gilt and silver wire and bright polychrome enamels against a black ground with a multitude of blossoming flowers including chrysanthemum, Chinese bellflower, prunus, peony, and iris, the neck and foot with stylized floral motifs, the recessed base incised with the signature Dai Nihon HAYASHI KONDEJI sei [made by Hayashi Kodenji in Great Japan].

HEIGHT 15.2 cm
WEIGHT 178 g

Condition: Very good condition, minor wear, minimal pitting, the mouth and foot rim each with a dent as well as few tiny nicks.
Provenance: From a private collection in Northern Germany, assembled between 1985 and 2006.

Hayashi Kodenji (1831-1915) was a pivotal figure in the history of cloisonné enameling and instrumental in the formation and leadership of the Shippo-cho enamelers guild, and it is probable that he worked for the Nagoya-based Shippo Kaisha. As well as being an innovative enameller he was also an astute businessman. Stories are told that in his early days he walked from Nagoya to Yokohama to sell his wares at a time when there was a long-standing prohibition on selling copper (which included the body of the cloisonné objects). He worked with his son, Kodenji II, for over 40 years and it is often hard to differentiate the work of the two makers. He exhibited and won prizes at many international exhibitions: Nuremberg 1885 (silver), Paris 1889 (silver) and St Louis 1904 (gold). In 1912, Glendining of London auctioned over 300 ‘Japanese cloisonné enamels from the Glasgow Exhibition offered for sale by Mr. K Hayashi of Nagoya’.

Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related vase at Christie’s, The Japanese Aesthetic, 7 November 2012, London, lot 306 (sold for 11,875 GBP).