Japanese Showa Vintage｜Painted Art Glass with Fruit Still Life・Large Wood-Framed Glass Wall Panel

The subject is thoroughly appealing—a footed compote laden with fruit. At the center stands a white classical footed fruit vessel, its body bearing flower- and leaf-like decorative patterns; piled within are purple-red grapes, yellow and green pears, red fruits and more, each rendered in high-chroma blocks of color. The background makes generous use of lake blue, royal blue and deep blue, with sweeping horizontal curves that lend this otherwise still composition a rippling, water-like rhythm. Most interesting is the painting technique. Rather than pursuing the light and shadow of traditional realist still life, it separates each area of color with dark outlines, so from a distance it resembles church stained glass or European stained glass work; up close, one senses the vivid colors particular to Showa-era Japanese Western-style decorative art. This blend of "Japanese making × Western decorative vocabulary" is itself very much of the Showa era. (Some wear to the wooden frame.)

Price NT$ 8,800 ≈ US$ 270(Approximate amount; actual prices are in New Taiwan Dollars)

Dimensions: L 67 × W 48 × H 2 cm

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Features

① Showa vintage Western-style aesthetics

Showa-era Japanese interior design absorbed a great deal of Western culture; from kissaten and Western-style houses to ordinary homes, furniture and decorative objects with a Western flavor could be seen everywhere. The fruit still life, footed fruit stand, and stained-glass style of this piece are typical examples of that Western decorative vocabulary.

② An abundant fruit still-life subject

Grapes, pears, and assorted fruits gather at the center of the composition, giving a visual impression of harvest and abundance. Even setting symbolism aside, fruit is a subject well suited to dining rooms, kitchens, and living spaces.

③ A beautiful blue background

What stands out most here is actually the blue. Lake blue, sapphire blue, and deep blue interweave, forming a very beautiful contrast with the red, yellow, green, and purple fruits at the center. With natural light or lamplight on it, the glass material itself also produces a luster and translucency different from works on paper.

④ Bold outlines dividing the image like stained glass

Thick lines divide the fruit, vessels, and background into blocks of color, creating a strong retro decorative-art effect. Even from a distance, the design remains perfectly clear.

⑤ 67 × 48 cm, a large wall decoration

This is not a small tabletop ornament. The 67 cm long side gives it ample presence once hung on the wall, making it well suited to filling an empty wall in an entryway, dining room, or shop.

⑥ The original old wooden frame adds character

The dark wooden frame is retained; the photographs show wear, knocks, and traces of use from age on the frame.

Specifications

Dimensions	L 67 × W 48 × H 2 cm