Anonymous

Meiji period 19th/20th century

1868-1912

Cloisonne Panel

An interesting enamel and silver wire cloisonne panel. The panel depicts white and yellow cherry blossoms with grey tone branches and leaves on a blue and white sky ground. The silver wires are extremally thin to the point that it is hard to notice them.

Stylistically the panel is very likely to be by the artist Namikawa Sosuke, He was to become one of the most highly respected cloisonne artists for his wireless technique making his enamel works look like ink paintings. He would copy artists of the time and would make many copies of the work by the artist and painter Watanabe Shotei. Watanabe would paint flowers, birds and nature.

There are very close relationships to prints by Watanabe Shotei and this panel and many known works with the same subject and colours of blossom exist. This panel could have been a standalone piece but Namikawa Sosuke was also known to make panels for sliding cabinet doors where there could be an accompanying panel with maybe a bird or animal.

Namikawa Sosuke mastered the blending of enamels allowing the colours to mix seamlessly into one another. This work does have wires and would attribute it to earlier works heading towards his mastering of the wireless technique he would be so well known for.   

Unsigned Attributed to Namikawa Sosuke

Size Panel120mm x 260mm

Frame 322mm x 164mm