Japanese Cloisonné Enamel Vase — Chinese Archaic Hu Form — Pre-WWII For Sale

Offered is a large and visually commanding Japanese cloisonné enamel vase, produced for the Western export market during the late Meiji to Taishō / early Shōwa period, and executed in the Chinese archaic bronze revival style.

The vase is formed in the classical hu (ritual vessel) silhouette, inspired by ancient Chinese bronzes, with a multi-tiered architectural profile and cast animal-mask handles referencing archaic taotie motifs. The surface is richly decorated with hand-wired cloisonné enamels over a heavy, densely engraved brass body.

Decorative bands feature lotus scrolls, cloud forms, and stylized motifs rendered in turquoise, cobalt blue, jade green, iron red, and milky white enamels. The engraved diaper ground remains visible between cloisons, a hallmark of pre-war Japanese export cloisonné, prior to later streamlined production.

The underside is clearly stamped “MADE IN JAPAN,” consistent with U.S. import marking requirements post-1921 and prior to 1941, firmly placing the piece in the pre-WWII export period.

This is not modern tourist cloisonné. The weight, brass thickness, wirework, form complexity, and wear all align with early 20th-century workshop production, intended for the Western collector and decorator market.

• Origin: Japan

• Style: Chinese archaic bronze (hu-form) revival

• Period: Late Meiji / Taishō to early Shōwa

• Date: Circa 1921–1941 (pre-WWII export)

• Material: Heavy brass with hand-wired cloisonné enamels

• Mark: “MADE IN JAPAN” stamped to underside

• Height: ~10–11 inches

• Width: ~6–7 inches across handles

Please review photographs for scale and detail.

• Structurally sound and stable

• Expected enamel wear, small losses, and surface patina consistent with age

• No visible structural repairs

• Interior unenameled with aged brass patina

Overall very good condition for a pre-war cloisonné object of this scale and complexity.

• Authentic pre-WWII Japanese cloisonné

• Executed in a Chinese archaic bronze revival form

• True wired cloisonné (not painted enamel)

• Heavy brass body with dense engraving

• Strong decorative and architectural presence

Ideal for:

• Asian art collections

• High-end interior design

• Scholar’s studio or cabinet display