Exquisite Japanese Cloisonné Enamel Vase Blue and White Plum Blossoms, Ando

A rare and highly refined Japanese cloisonné enamel vase from the late Meiji to early Showa period, bearing the mark of the Ando Cloisonné Company—one of the most celebrated and technically accomplished enameling workshops of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The form and palette draw clear inspiration from earlier blue and white porcelain traditions, long admired and reinterpreted by Japanese artisans. In the present example, this classical aesthetic is translated into the medium of cloisonné enamel, resulting in a work that bridges historic ceramic influence with advanced enamel technique. The surface is decorated with a blossoming plum tree, its branches articulated in fine gold wire and set against a softly diffused ground of deep cobalt blue dissolving seamlessly into milky white. This atmospheric transition is achieved through wireless enameling, allowing for uninterrupted tonal gradation rarely encountered in traditional cloisonné and imparting a painterly, almost ink-like quality to the composition. Further enhancing the surface is the use of moriage, or raised enamel, visible in the blossoms and select details where the enamel is subtly built up in relief to create dimension and texture. The successful integration of wireless enameling and moriage decoration reflects a high level of technical sophistication and control, seldom achieved within a single work. The balance between wirework, enamel clarity, and tonal modulation exemplifies the precision and innovation for which the Ando workshop is renowned. Particularly noteworthy is the use of white enamel—historically one of the most difficult colors to successfully fire in cloisonné—here executed with exceptional purity and consistency, further underscoring the technical excellence of the piece. The restrained palette of cobalt blue and white is itself uncommon within cloisonné, where more elaborate polychrome decoration often prevails. In this instance, the limited color range enhances the elegance and compositional clarity of the design, emphasizing refinement over ornament. Signed to the underside, this vase represents a technically ambitious and aesthetically sophisticated work from the Ando Cloisonné Company, produced during a transitional moment when innovation and restraint were brought into exceptional balance. A quietly powerful and museum-quality example of Japanese cloisonné, distinguished by its rarity, technical mastery, and refined artistic vision. 12″ high x 6″ diameter Good condition. No damage noted.  Period: 19th CenturyPlace of Origin:JapanStyle:MeijiDiameter: 6 in (15.24 cm)Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Attributed to:Ando Jubei (Maker)Date of Manufacture: 19th CenturyMaterials & Techniques: Copper,Enamel