Ota Cloisonné Works — Fine Art Cloisonné Vase with Rose Design on Emerald Green
A fine art cloisonné vase from Japan's Ota Cloisonné Works; the most striking first impression is its exceptionally deep emerald green. The body follows the classic long-necked vase proportion: the mouth flares slightly, the shoulder is rounded, and the form tapers gradually toward the base. At 19 cm the vase is not large, yet the form is thoroughly resolved and well balanced. What is truly remarkable is the surface decoration. The deep emerald ground is not a flat, monotonous expanse of green; very fine textures and shifts of luster can be seen across it. Under different angles and lighting it moves from ink green to emerald with varying depth, giving the body a gem-like visual depth. The front is decorated with a group of blooming roses, red and white blossoms unfurling upward from leafy stems — the red flowers rich and vivid, the white ones soft — while leaves are rendered in greens of varying depth so the flowers emerge from the dark ground. The overall effect is not flamboyantly gilded and showy, but a composed, sumptuous beauty with a distinctly Japanese craft sensibility.
