1920s Japanese Cloisonne Vase with Silver Inlays by Ando Jubei

A Japanese cloisonne vase by Ando Company circa 1910-30s, end of Meiji to Tasho period. The vase takes an archaic Chinese bronze vessel form known as “Zun”. Its surface was covered in an enamel of mottled turquoise-green and black colors (with a modern Art Deco look). The waist of the vase was decorated with fine silver wire inlays of zoomorphic motifs called taotie mask, which is commonly found on Shang and Zhou dynasty ritual bronzes and jades objects of the Zhou and Han dynasty in ancient China. The mouth and base rims are overlaid with silver bands, and it is marked “pure silver” in Kanji on the base rim. The center of the base is inlaid with silver wire making the Ando company logo as shown.
Although inspired by Chinese archaic ritual bronze vessel in both form and decorative motif, the vase was made with modern outlook in mind and appears quite so with its near abstract background enemal and thin silver wire inlay work.