Namikawa Yasuyuki
Lidded Vessel with Floral and Running Glaze Designcirca 1895

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No image

Artist or Maker: Namikawa Yasuyuki
Japan, 1845-1927
Title: Lidded Vessel with Floral and Running Glaze Design
Date Made: circa 1895
Period: Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Cloisonné enamel with brass mounts
Dimensions: .a-.b) 4 3/4 × 2 3/8 × 2 3/8 in. (12.07 × 6.03 × 6.03 cm)
Credit Line: Gift from the Japanese Cloisonné Enamels Collection of Donald K. Gerber and Sueann E. Sherry
Accession Number: M.2021.233.1a-b
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: It is believed that Namikawa Yasuyuki’s first cloisonné works were created in the early 1870s. Quickly developing his skills, continuously experimenting with and employing new techniques and design treatments, by 1875 he was exhibiting work at both domestic and international exhibitions. In 1896, he was appointed Imperial Court Artist (Teishitsu Gigei’in) to the court of the Emperor Meiji.

During the final quarter of the nineteenth century, Yasuyuki worked with Gottfried Wagener, a German chemist living in Japan. Wagener was one of many foreign specialists tapped to help the country develop its industries, transportation, and technologies as it sought its place on the world stage. Instrumental in the development of advancements in both ceramic and cloisonné production, his collaborations with Yasuyuki resulted in a number of innovative techniques. Two such innovations are seen on this lidded vessel: the large expanse of uniform wireless enamel color and a true black enamel. Flowers were a common motif on Yasuyuki’s work. The narrower and more reserved use of banding characterizes his work as he moves away from his earlier style.

2025
Selected Bibliography: Singer, Robert T. Polished to Perfection: Japanese Cloisonné from the Collection of Donald K. Gerber and Sueann E. Sherry. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017.

Namikawa Yasuyuki
Lidded Vessel with Floral and Running Glaze Designcirca 1895

Not on view

No image

Artist or Maker: Namikawa Yasuyuki
Japan, 1845-1927
Title: Lidded Vessel with Floral and Running Glaze Design
Date Made: circa 1895
Period: Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Cloisonné enamel with brass mounts
Dimensions: .a-.b) 4 3/4 × 2 3/8 × 2 3/8 in. (12.07 × 6.03 × 6.03 cm)
Credit Line: Gift from the Japanese Cloisonné Enamels Collection of Donald K. Gerber and Sueann E. Sherry
Accession Number: M.2021.233.1a-b
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: It is believed that Namikawa Yasuyuki’s first cloisonné works were created in the early 1870s. Quickly developing his skills, continuously experimenting with and employing new techniques and design treatments, by 1875 he was exhibiting work at both domestic and international exhibitions. In 1896, he was appointed Imperial Court Artist (Teishitsu Gigei’in) to the court of the Emperor Meiji.

During the final quarter of the nineteenth century, Yasuyuki worked with Gottfried Wagener, a German chemist living in Japan. Wagener was one of many foreign specialists tapped to help the country develop its industries, transportation, and technologies as it sought its place on the world stage. Instrumental in the development of advancements in both ceramic and cloisonné production, his collaborations with Yasuyuki resulted in a number of innovative techniques. Two such innovations are seen on this lidded vessel: the large expanse of uniform wireless enamel color and a true black enamel. Flowers were a common motif on Yasuyuki’s work. The narrower and more reserved use of banding characterizes his work as he moves away from his earlier style.

2025
Selected Bibliography: Singer, Robert T. Polished to Perfection: Japanese Cloisonné from the Collection of Donald K. Gerber and Sueann E. Sherry. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017.