A statuesque Japanese twin-handled cloisonné bronze vase from the late Meiji period (circa 1900), narrating the legendary chase of a ghostly giant carp through enamelled waters. A serious sleeper for the discerning collector — signed, sizeable, and just a little bit haunted.
The Romance
Some vases simply hold flowers. This one holds a story. Cast in heavy bronze around 1900 and dressed in glittering cloisonné enamel, our 37 cm beauty depicts the medieval Japanese legend of the hunt for the giant carp: a mounted nobleman, four attendants on foot, and a spectral fish shimmering beneath the water like a rumour you can't quite confirm. The fish is rendered as a transparent silhouette, a notoriously fiddly atmospheric effect associated with the musen-shippō (wireless cloisonné) tradition perfected by the great Meiji ateliers.
The six-character seal on the underside, framed in a squared cartouche on a nanako (fish-roe) ground, points strongly to the workshop of Genryusai Seiya (源龍斎誠谷) one of the leading bronze-and-enamel masters of the Meiji golden age, beloved by the export markets of Europe and America.
Styling & Collector's Inspiration
For the collector: this is a cornerstone piece for any cabinet of Meiji-period Japonisme. Pair it with our Antique Bronze Buddha Statue Seated in Meditation on Lotus for a serene East Asian altar grouping, or set it in conversation with the Antique Southeast Asian Bronze Buddha Head Sculpture to let two patinas whisper across centuries.
Layer it over the Handwoven Transylvanian Folk Rug for that "well-travelled grandmother who collected on three continents" energy that no algorithm can replicate. For an unexpected hit, flank it with the 1930s Art Deco Silvered Metal Vase with Floral Repoussé : Meiji meets Deco, and they get along famously.
Details
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Origin: Japan, late Meiji period
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Date: circa 1900
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Materials: Cast bronze with polychrome cloisonné enamel
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Attribution: Six-character seal mark in seal script (tensho) on raised nanako ground — attributed to the workshop of Genryusai Seiya (源龍斎誠谷)
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Decoration: Figural narrative scene depicting "The Hunt for the Giant Carp" — a mounted rider and four attendants pursuing a spectral fish; upper register and neck with archaic floral scrollwork and stylised cloud collars
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Special technique: Atmospheric "transparent fish" silhouette achieved through layered enamel — a hallmark of advanced Meiji musen-shippō–inspired work
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Form: Pear-shaped hu-form body with tall flaring neck, twin figural side handles, raised foot ring
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Dimensions: Height approx. 37 cm · widest diameter approx. 22 cm · base diameter 15 cm · mouth 9 cm
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Weight: approx. 3.2 kg
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Condition: Excellent original condition for its age. Authentic period firing characteristics (fine pinhole pitting and 2–3 mm enamel "crawling" marks consistent with hand-made Meiji production), no cracks, no chips, no restoration. The dark grey-yellow bronze visible at firing voids confirms the heavy bronze body.
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Provenance honesty note: These minor firing irregularities are a hallmark of authentic c.1900 hand-fired enamel and are valued by serious collectors as evidence of true period workmanship.
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HS Code: 9706.10 (antiques of an age exceeding 100 years)
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