Beschreibung:

Lot details Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) The pear-shaped body supported on a spreading foot and rising to a tall waisted neck, with silvered mounts, very finely decorated in bright enamels against a midnight-blue ground with three colorful ho-o birds below a dense design of scrolling foliage and paulownia leaves, with a ring border below the rim and a floral diapered band to the foot. HEIGHT 25.7 cm WEIGHT 398 g Condition: Very good condition with minor surface wear and manufacturing irregularities, such as minor scattered pitting. Provenance: Property from the John and Muriel Okladek Collection. John Okladek (1929-2015) was a world traveler, a premier collector of art objects, and an occasional consultant to leading auction houses relative to some of his expertise. Among other areas of collecting, he and his wife Muriel (b. 1931) built an important and substantial collection of Japanese cloisonné. Both the ho-o bird and the paulownia (kiri) tree are imperial symbols of Japan. According to legend, the ho-o, a bird similar to the phoenix that represents the eternal rebirth of the soul, only settles on the Kiri tree. In the hope of attracting this auspicious bird that blesses people with wisdom, health and happiness, the trees are planted in courtyards and gardens.