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Japanese Enamels 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 EXAMPLES IN THE BOWES COLLECTION 
 
 BY 
 
 JAMES L. BOWES, 
 
 Author of Japanese Marks and Seals 
 Joint Author of Keramic Art of Japan 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 BERNARD QUARITCH. 
 
 1886. 
 

The present edition op 200 Copies of this 
 work , which zuas originally printed for private 
 circulation , is issued in response to suggestions 
 from numerous quarters. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 H E brief account of the art of Cloi sound 
 
 Enamelling given in the following pages is 
 the first of a series of papers dealing with the various 
 arts of Japan which I hope to issue in connection with 
 the descriptive catalogues of the various groups of 
 art works which I have collected. These have been 
 gathered together since fapan was opened to inter- 
 course with foreign nations in i8gg, and they comprise 
 examples of all the arts which have been practised 
 by the ingenious and skilful inhabitants of that 
 country. 
 
 fapanese Art was practically unknown in Western 
 countries twenty-five years ago , and the only examples 
 to be found in Europe were the decorated porcelain 
 known as Old fapan and a few specimens of 
 Lacquer ware. 
 
 The former cannot be looked upon as distinctively 
 the work of the fapanese artist, for it was principally 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 made for exportation to Holland , and consisted of 
 vessels more European than Japanese in their form , 
 and the character of the decoration was unmistakably 
 influenced by European feeling. Immense quantities 
 of this ware were sent to Holland in the latter half 
 of the seventeenth and during the eighteenth century; 
 indeed it is stated that as many as 60,000 pieces 
 were received in Europe during the single year of 1664. 
 However this may be, we know that there are few 
 great mansions in England and Western Europe in 
 which specimens may not be found. The most impor- 
 tant single collection of this ware is preserved in 
 the Japanese Palace at Dresden. 
 
 The examples of Lacquer were few in number, 
 and generally poor in quality. Some of the best were 
 those which had been presented to the Dutch visitors 
 to Japan, whilst other, but inferior, pieces had been 
 made upon the order of the Dutch traders ; the 
 latter, generally in the form of slabs and panels, 
 when received in Europe were fashioned into cabinets, 
 coffers, and so forth, many of which form part of the 
 furniture of the palaces and houses in this and other 
 European countries. 
 
 Of the real Art of Japan little, however, was 
 known beyond the confines of that country. There 
 were no examples of enamels, paintings, ancient 
 bronzes , of the works of the potters of Satsuma, 
 Kioto and Kaga, or of the more ancient pottery of 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 V 
 
 Hizen , Bisen and Owari. These were preserved in the 
 palaces of the Shogun and the great Daimio of 
 Japan , for whom the artists of that country had 
 produced them , and they have only been dispersed 
 under circumstances which I will endeavour to trace. 
 
 It is not necessary to refer at length to the 
 well-known visits of Commodore Perry and Lord 
 Elgin to fa pan, which led to the opening of certain 
 ports to foreign trade in 1859. This event was 
 followed by the appearance in Europe of a few 
 art works , but the first opportunity of gaining an 
 insight into the real Art of fapan occurred in 
 1862. To the Exhibition held during that year in 
 London , Sir Rutherford A Icock, our ambassador at 
 the court of fapan , contributed a collection containing 
 many choice examples of lacquer ware , as well as 
 some specimens of textile fabrics , bronzes and other art 
 works. From time to time , during the five succeeding 
 years , a few objects reached this country , but most of 
 these were of modern manufacture and few possessed 
 any real artistic interest. It was not until 1867, when 
 the fapanese collection was displayed at the Paris 
 Exhibition , that Europe became aware of the marvel- 
 lous diversity and extraordinary beauty of the art 
 works of the land of the Rising Sun. No words can 
 do justice to the splendour of that assemblage of art 
 objects in lacquer , pottery , metals , textile fabrics , and 
 carved ivory works , and it must always be a matter 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 of intense regret that the entire collection was not 
 preserved intact in some museum. It was , however , 
 offered for sale at the close of the Exhibition , first 
 in Paris , and subsequently in London , and was dis- 
 persed amongst European collectors , many of the pieces 
 finding their way into the Bowes collection. 
 
 Two events in the history of Japan since that 
 period may be referred to in connection with the 
 
 subject under review. The more important of these 
 was the Restoration of the Mikado to supreme power 
 in 1868. This event was preceded by the strife between 
 the Daimio who supported his cause , and the forces 
 of the Shogun, and one of the means by which the 
 
 latter attempted to raise the funds necessary to 
 
 enable him to carry on the warfare was to send 
 the art treasures of his house to the Paris Exhibition , 
 ostensibly to illustrate the art of his country , but 
 
 in reality for the purpose of sale. These noble 
 works , representing the best efforts of the artists who 
 had flourished during the seventeenth and eighteenth 
 centuries under the peaceful ride of the Tokugawa 
 Shdgunate, the most brilliant period of fapanese Art , 
 were, as I have shown, dispersed throughout Europe, 
 and the deposition of the Shogun, in 1868, was 
 followed by the appearance in Europe of many other 
 objects which came, without doubt, from his dismantled 
 palaces. 
 
 The other political event in the history of fapan 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Vll 
 
 which bears upon this subject occurred towards the 
 close of 1 8/ 1 , when the feudal system which had 
 existed in that country for eight hundred years 
 came to an end. In that year the great nobles of 
 Japan surrendered their titles , their power , and nine- 
 tenths of their revenues to the Mikado. A change 
 so great as this naturally led to the dispersion of 
 many of the treasures which had for centuries been 
 preserved as heirlooms in the families of the nobles ; 
 and it was, no doubt, from this source that the 
 beautiful works which reached Europe from 1872 to 
 1874 were drawn. 
 
 The main portion of the collection under review 
 was gathered together between the years 1867 and 
 18/4. It comprises examples selected in Holland, 
 Paris, Vienna, the United States, and various 
 parts of England ; and it may be mentioned that 
 several of the choicest pieces were procured in Liver- 
 pool, to which city many of the earliest shipments 
 were made. 
 
 Since the year 1874, the supply of ancient and 
 genuine works has almost ceased ; objects of high 
 character have only occasionally been received. Im- 
 mense quantities of modern ware of every kind have 
 been sent for sale in the various European markets , 
 and amongst them many imitations of the old works. 
 Imitation enamels upon metal first came forward in 
 1872 ; modern pottery was abundant at the Vienna 
 
Vlll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Exhibition in 1873, at London in 1874 , and at the 
 Philadelphia Exhibition in 1876 ; and at the exhibi- 
 tion held in Paris in 1878 there was only a single 
 case of ancient wares , the other objects exhibited being 
 modern enamels, pottery , lacquer and bronzes. Specimens 
 of these wares have been added to the collection for the 
 purpose of increasing its interest as an educational 
 series of the art works of fop an. 
 
 Contrasting strangely with the supineness of 
 European authorities in art matters, in allowing the 
 dispersion of the Paris collection, is the anxiety of 
 the fapanese government to recover the treasures 
 of which the country has been denuded since the 
 Revolution. The government has become alive to the 
 absolute necessity of placing these works before the 
 artists and students of to-day, for they recognise the 
 decadence of the art feeling and skill of the country, 
 and know that it can only be restored by a study 
 of the master- pieces of those who, in the days of 
 feudalism , worked for the love of their art, under 
 the patronage and protection of the Shogun and 
 the Daimio. 
 
 Unquestionably many art works of the highest class 
 have been retained in Japan, and remain in the possession 
 of those great nobles who did not part with their 
 treasures at the time of the Revolution. But these 
 are preserved in their godowns, or in their houses, 
 and are not available for the instruction of the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IX 
 
 people. The government , therefore , has established a 
 Museum of Art in Tokio, and some of the finest 
 examples of lacquer and bronze works , which had 
 been sent to Europe for sale , have been returned to 
 f apart, and now form part of the Tokio collection , 
 and it is reported that efforts are being made to 
 recover many of the representative objects in Europe 
 for the same purpose. This feeling also animates the 
 private collectors of f apart, amongst whom a furore 
 has arisen during the past three years, first for 
 lacquer and more recently for paintings and illumi- 
 nated books, and English and American possessors 
 of such objects have been approached with a view 
 of purchasing notable examples for return to f apart. 
 
 The remaining sections of this series will treat 
 upon the following branches, and each of them will be 
 accompanied by illustrations, and descriptive catalogues, 
 of numerous examples, information as to the names 
 and uses of the objects , and of their decoration, 
 with the whole of the signatures and dates which 
 appear upon the objects drawn in facsimile. 
 
 Lacquer Ware. 
 
 Paintings and Books. 
 
 Pottery : Including the productions of Hizen, 
 Satsuma, Kaga, Kioto, Owari, and the 
 minor factories, from the earliest times to 
 the present period. 
 
 Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron Works. 
 
X 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Ivory and Wood Carvings. 
 
 Textile Fabrics, Embroideries, Leather, &c. 
 
 In conclusion I must express my best thanks and 
 acknowledgments to numerous Japanese friends for 
 the assistance they have given me in my endeavours 
 to classify and describe the various portions of the 
 collection. I am especially indebted to Mr. Kawakami 
 for his translation of the numerous marks and signa- 
 tures , and for much valuable general information 
 concerning the art of his country ; to Mr. Masujima 
 for the assistance he has given me in connection with 
 the fauna and flora which occur in the decoration of 
 the works , and lastly to Mr. Kato for the information 
 he has furnished me with concerning the scenes depicted 
 in the paintings and illuminated books. 
 
 JAMES L. BOWES. 
 
 LIVERPOOL , 1884. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Cloisonne Enamels ....... i 
 
 / 
 
 Japanese Cloisonne: 
 
 Early ......... 41 
 
 Middle Period, the unbound ..... 47 
 
 Middle Period, the bound . . . . . 51 
 
 Modern ... ...... 85 
 
 Japanese : 
 
 Translucent ........ 87 
 
 Champleve ........ 87 
 
 On Porcelain ..... 88 
 
 Painted ......... 89 
 
 Chinese : 
 
 Cloisonne ........ 89 
 
 Painted ........ 97 
 
 European : 
 
 Russian ....... 97 
 
 English ......... 98 
 
 French ........ 98 
 
 Index .......... 99 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 HE most precious and fascinating of all the art 
 
 Japanese themselves designate them as Shippo ware, meaning 
 thereby that they represent the seven precious things, namely, 
 gold, silver, emerald, coral, agate, crystal and pearl ; and 
 those who have had an opportunity of studying the choicest 
 works of the Japanese artists will acknowledge that this 
 description does not appear over-strained or inappropriate. 
 
 The origin, the time and place of manufacture, the 
 processes employed in the fabrication of these marvels of 
 dexterous workmanship, and the uses to which the vessels 
 were put, appear to be now unknown in Japan ; and the 
 records of the country, so far as they have become available 
 to us, are silent upon all these points but one, although 
 they afford ample information regarding lacquer, pottery, and 
 other art works. All that is said about enamel working is 
 that the art was introduced from China towards the close 
 of the sixteenth century.* 
 
 The Japanese Reports alluded to give full information 
 as to the origin of all the various arts and sciences prac- 
 
 * Le Japon a l’ Exposition Universelle de 1878. Publie sous la direction 
 de la Commission Imperiale Japonaise. Paris, 1878. 
 
 works of Japan are unquestionably those known 
 to Western nations as Cloisonne enamels. The 
 
2 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 tised in the country but this ; they tell how printing, 
 caligraphy and painting, the arts of casting bronzes and 
 
 fabricating pottery, were all derived from China by way of 
 Corea; they record the progress made in these arts in Japan 
 from century to century, and give the names of those who 
 
 introduced, and of those who practised, them. But of the 
 art of enamelling upon copper nothing is said beyond the 
 simple fact of its introduction from China, already referred 
 to.* 
 
 The art of enamelling upon copper is of great antiquity, 
 
 * It is said that there is a dish of cloisonne enamel amongst the 
 
 treasures of the Mikado at Nara. This city was the ancient capital 
 
 of Japan, and the Court resided there from 708 to 782 a.d., before its 
 removal to Kioto (a) about 794 a.d. When this event occurred, a wooden 
 building was erected, and in it much of the imperial property was 
 deposited. The building is still in existence, having been inspected 
 and restored at the beginning of each cycle of sixty years ( b ). Its 
 contents were exhibited in 1875 (e). Amongst the objects are some of 
 Japanese workmanship, but most of them are Chinese, Corean, Persian, 
 and Indian. It is very probable that some may date from the eighth 
 century, but many are unquestionably of a much more recent date ; and 
 although it is said that an inventory of the articles originally deposited 
 in the storehouse is in existence, many other objects have been added 
 since, and it is not now easy, or indeed possible, to identify the older 
 works or to distinguish them from those of more recent date. Amongst 
 the latter are objects of the time of Iyeyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa 
 Shogunate, who held office in 1603-4 a.d., and it is not unlikely that the 
 example of enamel referred to may belong to this period. An interesting 
 account of a visit to the Nara Collection is given in Japan, by 
 Christopher Dresser, London, 1882. Longmans, Green & Co. 
 
 (a) There are two capitals in Japan at the present day, the Eastern and the Western, 
 named respectively Tokio and Kioto (or Saikio). At the former, before the Restoration, the 
 Shogun held his Court ; it is now the residence of the Mikado, who removed to it from 
 Kioto, in 1868 . The latter is officially known as Saikio (Sat, western, kio , capital) ; before 
 the Revolution it was called Kioto or Miako, the first being the Chinese, and the second 
 the Japanese, rendering of the character in which the name was written ; the literal meaning 
 of Miako is the “ Imperial capital residence of the Mikado.” The earlier names of the 
 Eastern capital [ To , eastern, kio, capital] were Yedo, the Japanese style, signifying the 
 “ Door of the Shore,” and Koto, the Chinese form. 
 
 ( b ) The division of time in Japan has been accomplished since the earliest ages by 
 two methods ; first, by the Zodiacal Cycle of sixty years, and, secondly, by the Year 
 Periods, which have been fixed from time to time under the authority of the Mikado. — 
 Japanese Marks and Seals, by James Lord Bowes. London, H. Sotheran & Co., 1882. 
 
 [e) The Japan Weekly Mail, June 12th, 1875. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 3 
 
 and it is not known where it was first practised. The 
 earliest specimens existing are those which have been found 
 with the mummies in Egypt. In Europe the art was 
 practised in very early times, and in the Appendix to this 
 chapter is printed an account of the manipulative processes 
 which were employed in the manufacture of enamels, extracted 
 from the Treatise on the Various Arts of the Eleventh Cen- 
 tury, by Theophilus, which, although it applies only to the 
 construction of small plaques for the ornamentation of 
 church vessels, and does not touch upon the fabrication of 
 such large works as those which have been produced by 
 Oriental artists, gives much interesting information upon the 
 general subject. 
 
 There are three distinct applications of the art : — 
 1st. The Incrusted or Embedded. 2nd. The Translucent. 
 3rd. The Painted. 
 
 In the first class there are two kinds, the cloisonne and 
 the champleve. In cloisonne, or walled, enamels the designs 
 are formed upon metal by fine ribbons of the same material, 
 soldered by one edge to the basis, and so projecting as 
 to form a multitude of cells in which the enamel pastes 
 of various colours are placed, and, after being vitrified 
 
 by repeated firings, are finally ground and polished to a 
 smooth surface. In champleve, or sunken, enamels the 
 metal base required to form the design is hollowed out, 
 
 leaving the divisions in relief, and the pastes are filled in, 
 
 as already described in the kindred process of cloisonne 
 
 enamel. 
 
 Translucent enamels are those in which the designs 
 are engraved upon the metal grounds, and afterwards covered 
 with transparent enamel, through which the patterns may 
 be seen. 
 
 In the case of painted enamels, the metal foundation is 
 treated in the same way as porcelain or glass, the designs 
 being painted in enamel colours with a brush. 
 
 It is with cloisonne enamels that we have especially to 
 deal, for the other processes have not been followed by 
 
4 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 Oriental artists until recent times ; and their efforts in this 
 direction merit only the passing notice which will be given 
 to them later on. 
 
 The art was undoubtedly practised in China in very 
 early times, but there seems to be no foundation for the 
 statement put forward by Mr. Fortune,* that no good 
 specimens have been produced for the last six or eight 
 hundred years. Putting aside isolated examples which had 
 found their way to Europe, the earliest opportunity there was 
 of studying Chinese cloisonne enamels was at the Exhibition 
 of 1851, when several pieces were exhibited by Sir Rutherford 
 Alcock, f but it was only after the sacking of the Summer 
 Palace at Pekin, in i860, that a sufficient number of 
 examples reached this country to enable a correct judgment 
 of the various descriptions to be formed or a classification 
 attempted. 
 
 There are three distinctly marked classes of Chinese 
 enamels. The first and earliest bears evidence in its 
 
 colouring of having been produced during the Dai Ming 
 dynasty, 1368-1643 a.d. The second is as clearly identified 
 with the Dai Thsing dynasty, which commenced in 1643, 
 and still reigns, and the designs and colours which appear 
 upon it place it in the periods of Khien-long and Kea-king, 
 1736-1821 a.d. The third class is that which has been 
 made during the last twenty years for the European 
 market. 
 
 The earliest ware is distinguished by the boldness of 
 its designs, and by the low-toned colours which are used ; 
 the most prominent of these are the deep reds and blues 
 which characterise the decoration of the porcelain made in 
 the Dai Ming dynasty ; the workmanship of these pieces is 
 somewhat rude, and it is generally executed upon heavy cast 
 metal grounds. The examples of the second period exhibit 
 
 * A Residence amongst the Chinese, by Robert Fortune. London, 1857, 
 John Murray. 
 
 + The Capital of the Tycoon, by Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C.B. ; London, 
 1863, Longmans, Green & Co. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 5 
 
 the brighter colours, more beautiful and refined designs, and 
 the more accurate manipulation which are found in the 
 porcelain of the Khien-long and Kea-king periods. The 
 modern works are of coarser execution, the colours employed 
 are often crude and garish in tone, and the cloisons have 
 none of the delicacy which is apparent in the second period 
 ware. 
 
 Date marks upon the early Chinese works are exces- 
 sively rare, and unless they are confirmed by the tone of 
 the colouring and character of the workmanship, they are 
 not to be relied on. M. Albert Jacquemart* has stated 
 that the period of King-tai, 1450-1457 a.d., was one of 
 the most brilliant epochs of the art ; and this view would 
 seem to have been founded upon the fact that several fine 
 examples have the marks of this period, and that of 
 Seuen-tih, 1426-1436 a.d., engraved, or cast, upon them ; 
 but in some cases it is clear that the marks are forgeries, 
 and have been applied to works made during the last 
 two centuries. 
 
 There is, however, a very interesting dish in the 
 collection of Mr. Augustus W. Franks, upon which there 
 is a date mark which may safely be accepted as authentic, 
 for it is rendered in cloisons , and forms a part of the 
 decoration of the dish. It states that the vessel was made 
 during the Wan-li period, 1573-1619 a.d. It is clearly 
 an early work ; it is decorated with the five-clawed imperial 
 dragon of China, executed, with the accompanying orna- 
 mentation, in the deep-toned colours which have been 
 referred to as characteristic of the wares produced under 
 the Dai Ming dynasty. It is valuable, moreover, because 
 it shows that, at the date named, the art was not in its 
 infancy, and it suggests that the use of the marks of the 
 periods of Seuen-tih and King-tai, upon works of more 
 modern date, may be accepted as an indication of the 
 
 * Collection D’Objets d'Art de M. le Due de Movny, par Albert Jacque- 
 mart, Paris. Imprimerie de J. Claye, 1863. 
 
6 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 popular belief as to the time when the manufacture of 
 cloisonne ' enamels in China commenced. 
 
 Having thus briefly glanced at the progress of the art 
 in China, we may now consider the more important subject 
 of its introduction into Japan, and endeavour to trace it 
 through the various stages of its marvellous development 
 to its final decay. 
 
 The works of Japan also consist of three clearly 
 marked classes, which may be described as the Early, the 
 Middle-period, and the Modern. So far as these broadly- 
 marked divisions go, the distinction between each is per- 
 fectly clear ; but the information at present available does 
 not permit of a more minute classification being made, nor 
 of a sub-division of the diversified and beautiful Middle- 
 period ware into the various schools of which it doubtless 
 consists. 
 
 The Early ware is executed upon the beaten copper 
 grounds of extreme thinness which form one of the features 
 of Japanese enamels ; and, in this respect, they are in 
 marked contrast to all Chinese works. Both schools are 
 represented in the colouring, the deep reds and blues of 
 the Ming period being used in the ornamental designs, in 
 many examples displayed upon the green grounds, which, in 
 the deeper shades form one of the distinguishing features of 
 the Japanese school proper. Some of the designs are of 
 Indian and Persian character, and it has been suggested that 
 these works may have been made in those countries, but the 
 connection between them and the developments of the art in 
 China and Japan, strongly confirm the view that they are the 
 earliest efforts of the Japanese enamel workers. The inscrip- 
 tions which appear upon some of the pieces are of a 
 character very unlikely to have been used in India or Persia, 
 for they are written in Chinese form, and consist of words 
 in common use in China and Japan. The connection with 
 the latter country is further strengthened by the occurrence 
 in the decoration of the Japanese form of the favorite com- 
 bination of the pine tree, bamboo, and plum, so frequently 
 

 
 
 
 
 
PLATE II. 
 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 7 
 
 used to signify good fortune, and also by the presence of 
 the tai, the fish which is associated with Yebis, one of the 
 seven household divinities of the Japanese. The ornamen- 
 tation of the important Chinese dish in the possession of 
 Mr. Franks, affords another link in the evidence in favor of 
 this view, for the ground is powdered with small curled 
 forms, rendered in metal cloisons, which enter largely into 
 the decoration of the works referred to ; this ornament is 
 also frequently found in the Middle-period ware, but only in 
 a refined and modified form ; for the skilful and imaginative 
 Japanese artisan appears to have preferred the more 
 beautiful and artistic diaper and floral designs, which, 
 perhaps, more than any other portion of the ornamentation, 
 constitute the glory of his productions. 
 
 (^5; 
 
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 000 0 00 0t 
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 7/ 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Z 
 
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 CHINESE. 
 
 Ming. 
 
 JAPANESE. 
 
 Early. 
 
 JAPANESE. 
 
 Middle-period. 
 
 The coloured plate opposite this page illustrates the 
 various points connecting the Early Japanese with the 
 Chinese ware. In the first band of ornamentation, copied 
 from a Chinese work of the Ming period, the deep red 
 and blue are shown. The other bands are taken from 
 Japanese Early ware, and in the first of these the colours 
 referred to again appear; in the next division the green 
 ground takes the place of the blue, and the curled forms 
 are used as a powdering ; in the fourth division the work- 
 manship is more exact than in the two preceding ones, 
 and it is interesting, also, because it illustrates the use of 
 the fret border, a style of decoration which enters freely into 
 the ornamentation of the later and more beautiful works. 
 
8 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 The statement, in Japanese Reports, that the art was 
 introduced from China, is not without significance, for it 
 is, perhaps, the only one of the numerous arts for which 
 Japan is indebted to that country which did not come 
 through Corea. The correctness of this information appears 
 to be corroborated by the statement made by Mr. Alabaster,* 
 that the taste for this art was confined to the north of 
 China, either from a prejudice on the part of the South- 
 
 erners against an art introduced into their country by the 
 Tartar conquerors, or from its failure to harmonise with 
 
 the sense of the beautiful of the more effeminate natives 
 of the provinces of the south. However that may be, this 
 view confirms the report that this art was not introduced 
 through the customary Corean channels, like those which 
 were more intimately associated with ancient China. 
 
 The Early ware, although of the most skilful manipu- 
 lation, and superior in all respects to Chinese works of the 
 same period, bears evidence of an undeveloped art which 
 afterwards reached its culmination in the superb examples 
 of the Middle-period. 
 
 There are two points in which the Early and the 
 Middle-period ware resemble each other and differ from all 
 Chinese works. These are the excessive thinness of the 
 
 metal foundations, and the frequent use of green as the 
 
 colour for the grounds. There is no trace in either of 
 
 the thick, beaten, or cast foundations used by Chinese 
 
 artists of every period ; and in nearly all the examples 
 of the Early ware, whilst the deep red of the Ming 
 
 epoch is used, the blue grounds of the same period have 
 
 given place to the green which have since become so 
 marked a feature in the Japanese ware. In the Middle- 
 period enamels, all trace of Chinese feeling is lost. There 
 is an entire absence of information as to the time when 
 they were made, and the varied excellence of the work- 
 
 * Catalogue of Chinese Objects in the South Kensington Museum, by 
 C. Alabaster, 1872. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 9 
 
 manship clearly indicates that a wide interval must have 
 elapsed between the time when the examples of Early 
 ware were made, and the production of the most perfect 
 works of the Middle-period. 
 
 A glance at the history of the country, with the know- 
 ledge which we possess of the progress of other arts, affords 
 reason for supposing that the highest development of the art 
 was reached during the last century. 
 
 We know* that the country was disturbed by incessant 
 civil wars until the year 1603 a.d., when the renowned 
 Iyeyasu f founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, and, although 
 the country then became comparatively settled, it was not 
 until the time of Iyemitsu, the third Shogun, who held 
 office from 1623 to 1649, that order was firmly established, 
 and the nation turned its thoughts to peaceful arts. All 
 the information afforded by a study of the marks and 
 signatures upon pottery, illuminated books and bronzes, 
 proves that the works executed prior to the seventeenth 
 century were deficient in those qualities which form the 
 beauties of Japanese art. Decorated faience was first made 
 in Satsuma about 1630 ; and the manufacture of artistic 
 pottery was originated in Kioto by the celebrated Nonomura 
 
 * Japanese Marks and Seals, Preface. 
 
 f Iyeyasu was born in 1542, and died in 1616. He was created Shogun, 
 or commander in chief of the army, in 1603. Pie is represented as having 
 been a man of superior talent, who reduced the system of government to a 
 perfect state of law and order that gave peace to the country. The principle 
 upon which he based his system was to respect the Mikado as hereditary 
 sovereign. He was called the Emperor by the Portuguese and Dutch writers 
 of the time, though he never gave, by any title he either assumed or received, 
 any corroboration to the assumption. It was probably from witnessing the 
 great power he held in the dual system of government, and his command of 
 the troops, that the distinction came to be made by foreigners between a 
 temporal and a spiritual emperor. In devising his new plan of an executive 
 government, Iyeyasu left the Emperor’s Court at Kioto untouched. That 
 was above him. The lowest officer there was his superior in rank until the 
 Mikado should give him a title. New Japan , by Samuel Mossman, London, 
 1873, John Murray. 
 
 B 
 
IO 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 Ninsei, in 1650. During the period* of Genroicu, 1688-1704, 
 a number of skilful artists appeared, and it was about 
 this time that the choicest works in lacquer were made, 
 and a notable development in the art of painting occurred. 
 
 It is not unlikely, therefore, that the last century was 
 the most brilliant period of Japanese art, and it may be 
 correct to assume that the choicest examples of cloisonne 
 enamelling belong to that period. This view is confirmed 
 by the unusual style of the decoration and colouring of 
 the flower vases, numbered 81 and 82 in the catalogue, 
 one of which is illustrated. The ornamentation and 
 colouring of these highly interesting pieces is clearly 
 copied from Chinese works of the Khien-long period, 
 1736-1795 ; but, whilst the ornamentation is rendered with 
 a boldness and breadth of treatment unusual in Japanese 
 work, the manipulation bears evidence of the marvellous 
 skill which the artists of that country had attained. 
 Further than this, it is, at present, impossible to go in 
 fixing the time when these works were produced. The 
 examples gathered together in this collection present marked 
 differences of workmanship, design, and merit, and it is 
 a matter of great regret that the almost complete absence 
 of makers’ marks or signatures upon them, renders it im- 
 possible for us to classify them in the manner which the 
 abundant information of this kind, stamped or written 
 upon pottery, has enabled us to accomplish for that 
 section of the art works of Japan. 
 
 The Middle-period ware may, indeed, be subdivided 
 into two classes, the bound and the unbound ; the rims 
 of the vessels in the former class are protected by metal 
 borders, whilst the rims of those in the latter class 
 are left unprotected. It is probable that both classes 
 
 were made contemporaneously, for they present but little 
 difference in their general features. The enamel pastes 
 
 * Japanese Marks and Seals, p. 350. A list of the Year-periods from 
 1394 a.d. to the present time. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 1 1 
 
 employed in the unbound ware are softer, and of greater 
 
 sobriety in colour, than those used in the bound enamels, 
 and the greater ease with which the vitrification of the 
 former could be accomplished, led to the use of thinner 
 
 metal grounds and more delicate cloisons than are generally 
 found in the bound enamels. On the other hand, the softness 
 of the pastes prevented the surfaces taking the high polish 
 which is found upon the best examples of the harder enamels. 
 
 Amongst the most striking characteristics of the 
 Middle-period works are the thinness of the copper 
 foundations,* often not exceeding one sixteenth of an inch 
 in substance, which in many instances are enamelled upon 
 both sides, and the delicacy of the brass cloisons by which 
 the minute, diversified, and beautiful designs are formed. In 
 Chinese works, and in the modern Japanese and European 
 imitations, the spaces are comparatively large, and the 
 general effect is coarse and staring. But here I may 
 quote the words of Mr. R. Brudenell Carter, \ who was 
 one of the first to recognize the beauty of this art : — 
 
 “ In the Japanese enamels the cloisons are of the most 
 exquisite fineness and finish, producing patterns of extra- 
 ordinary elaboration and delicacy. As a single example 
 
 of this delicacy, it may be mentioned that leaves, not 
 exceeding half the size of a barley-corn, invariably have 
 their edges finely notched or serrated, and many of these 
 leaves, which are evidently intended to be seen in profile, 
 when folded and closed like those of a sensitive plant, are 
 thus notched on one side only.” Sir Rutherford Alcock, 
 our late Minister to Japan, to whom Europe is indebted 
 for having given it the first opportunity J of studying 
 Japanese art, writing § on the same subject, says, “Such 
 
 :: In a few instances the foundations and cloisons are of white metal. 
 -(-From an article in The Times , of December 26th, 1872. 
 
 1 At the Exhibition held in London in 1862. 
 
 § Art and Art Industries of Japan , by Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C.B., 
 D.C.L. London, Virtue & Co., Limited, 1878. 
 
12 
 
 CLOISONNE' ENAMELS. 
 
 works would be simply unproducible in any country where 
 skilled workmanship of a high order, and artistic in kind, 
 was not abundant and obtainable at an exceedingly low 
 rate of remuneration. Many of the enamel works must 
 represent the labour of years, even for two or three hands 
 and he goes on to confirm the opinion expressed in a 
 catalogue of this collection, published by the Liverpool 
 Art Club," that “they are miracles of delicate workmanship, 
 and in this sense they are wholly unrivalled ; in them 
 manipulative skill has reached its climax, and we are at 
 a loss to understand by what means or methods the 
 Japanese were able to produce these masterpieces. Master- 
 pieces they unquestionably are, for we do not hesitate to 
 say that ten centuries of Western enamelling have failed 
 to give us a tangible evidence of such perfection.” 
 
 The designs employed in the decoration of these works 
 are of infinite variety and singular beauty. The grounds are 
 in nearly all instances covered with the delicate scrollwork of 
 the small leaves already named ; this form is a modification 
 of the kara kusarf or Chinese grass, which is also used upon 
 other works of Japanese art, and especially so in the orna- 
 mentation of the vestments of the Buddhist priests. The 
 form is illustrated in the coloured plate which serves as a 
 frontispiece to this book. The sprays of the kara kusa are 
 rendered upon enamels in white, yellow, brown and blue, 
 and they generally radiate from a centre formed of a blossom, 
 probably that of the sakura, or cherry tree, which is rendered 
 in its natural colour of red ; at other times the kara kusa 
 springs from a conventional device, and the whole of the 
 ornamentation is intermixed with a great variety of small 
 
 * Catalogue of Oriental Exhibition, The Liverpool Art Club, 1872. The 
 descriptions of the examples included in the Exhibition named, have, 
 in many instances, been adopted in the catalogue appended to this 
 chapter, with the addition of more recent information. 
 
 f Kara (China) kusa (grass), “ the ornamental figure of a vine, in cloth, 
 pictures, carved metal or wood,” Japanese and English Dictionary , by J. C. 
 Hepburn, M.D., LL.D. Shanghai, 1872. 
 
CLOISONNIi ENAMELS. 
 
 13 
 
 flowers and rosettes, all of which are disposed upon the 
 customary dark green grounds. 
 
 Numerous forms associated with the Imperial family 
 of Japan are employed in the decoration of these works. 
 Amongst them are the three-clawed dragon, the ho-ho , and 
 the two crests or badges of the Mikado, known as the 
 kiku and kiri mon, the significance of which will be referred 
 to later on. 
 
 The birds, flowers, trees and fishes of the country are 
 also freely introduced into the decoration, and these are 
 generally shown in medallions, the grounds of which are 
 frequently powdered with small circular cloisons, and occa- 
 sionally partially filled with diaper ornaments. Japanese 
 artists delight in the system of decoration by means of 
 medallions, and this plan appears to be peculiar to them ; 
 on enamels they are disposed regularly, and not irregularly, 
 in groups, or overlapping one another, as upon pottery ; 
 animals and birds are frequently so coiled or otherwise 
 disposed as to completely fill the medallions, which, for the 
 sake of distinction, are depicted with a different ground- 
 work to that of the object decorated. 
 
 The human figure is rarely found upon the old enamels, 
 three examples of this only being known to me. 
 
 Perhaps the most favourite decoration of the enamel 
 worker are the geometrical diaper patterns, and in these his 
 invention never fails him, however much he may indulge in 
 his love for variety ; many of the patterns are so minute 
 that the eye can with difficulty follow their intricate lines, 
 or the mind comprehend how the artist could accomplish 
 them by a process so difficult as that under review. The 
 illustrations in this work afford numerous examples of this 
 mode of treatment, but those rendered in autotype fail to 
 convey any satisfactory idea of the beauty of the originals, 
 in the absence of the colours in which they are executed. 
 
 But more fascinating even than the beauty of the 
 designs and the accuracy of the manipulation, is the charm 
 of the colouring, which, to again quote from Mr. Carter, 
 
1 4 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 “ combines the qualities of richness and sobriety in a 
 manner which no verbal description, or reproduction by 
 any process in colour-printing, can convey. The richness is 
 such as might be expected to be communicated by artists 
 capable of appreciating the luxury of colour. The sobriety 
 is doubtless due to the knowledge that the glowing surfaces 
 would be lighted by all the glories of an Eastern sun.” 
 It is difficult in the dull atmosphere of our own country 
 to realise the perfection of colouring which must have 
 rendered these works so dear to their possessors in the 
 land of their production, and Mr. Jarves, the talented 
 writer on Japanese art, may be accused of exaggeration when 
 he records the impression which these works made upon 
 him during his residence in Japan.* During a stay of a 
 dozen years, he writes, he did not see as many specimens, 
 but the colouring of these was “ kaleidoscopic in variety and 
 brilliancy, with a subdued splendour which recalls the lower- 
 toned light of evening, rather than the effulgence of the 
 day;” and then he goes on to say, “wherever we do 
 find fine specimens, there is about them an unmistakable 
 atmosphere of general loveliness and purity of tints, as 
 cheerful in a room, to the mind’s eye, as are the corre- 
 sponding colours of the heavens to the senses in the 
 mellow light of a perfect day. There is about them a 
 double sense of hope and repose ; an unceasing perfume 
 by correspondence of whatever is symbolically pure, innocent, 
 and desirable in nature ; a comforting assurance, even if 
 apocryphal, of something sounder and better than materiality 
 in store for us ; an effect which must be felt on some 
 sympathetic chord of our being to be comprehended, and 
 which words refuse to transmit. A freak of imagination ; 
 fancy’s fire-works, you say, and I will not gainsay it. But the 
 art that can put any mortal into a more hopeful and believing 
 mood than his usual one deserves well of God and men.” 
 
 *A Glimpse at the Art of Japan, by James Jackson Jarves. New 
 York, Hurd & Houghton, 1876. 
 
cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 15 
 
 A general idea of the forms of the vessels may be 
 gathered from the illustrations ; they are not remarkable 
 for grace, and are not infrequently ungainly. The vessels 
 comprise temple lamps; flower vases; covered jars, which 
 may have been employed for holding the powdered tea used 
 at the ceremony of chanoyu ; dishes of various shapes, 
 circular, oval, oblong, hexagonal, and square; tea and water 
 pots ; tables upon which were placed the sacred books of 
 the Buddhists, and the beads which once formed the rosaries 
 of the priests. 
 
 The precise composition of the various metallic pastes 
 which constitute the enamels used in the old works is 
 unknown in Japan, and Mr. Griffis,* who had unusually 
 favorable opportunities for acquiring information upon the 
 subject during his sojourn in the country, states that native 
 archaeologists assert that the composition and application 
 of the ancient cloisonne enamelling is one of the lost arts. 
 
 Having submitted a specimen of Middle-period ware to 
 Dr. Dupre f for analysis, the following results were obtained. 
 The enamel paste itself is composed of 
 
 Oxide of lead . 
 
 • • • 37- l 5 
 
 Lime .... 
 
 . . . 4.92 
 
 Magnesia 
 
 . . . 0.90 
 
 Soda .... 
 
 . . . 5.19 
 
 Silica 
 
 . . . 51.84 
 
 
 100.00 
 
 This paste is coloured a great variety of shades by the 
 addition of metallic oxides ; in the case of blue, cobalt is 
 added ; grey, yellow, and pink are produced by the addition 
 of iron ; black, by iron and copper, with possibly traces of 
 
 * The Mikado's Empire, by William Elliot Griffis, A.M., 1876. 
 Harper & Brothers, New York. 
 
 t A. Dupre, Ph.D., F.C.S., Lecturer on Chemistry, Westminster 
 Hospital, London. 
 
i6 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 cobalt ; white, by the addition of bone earth. The precise 
 composition of two of the colours which are frequently used 
 is shown by the following detailed analyses : 
 
 Green: Oxide of copper 6.14 
 Oxide of lead . 34.89 
 Lime .... 4.62 
 
 Magnesia. . . 0.84 
 
 Soda .... 4.82 
 
 Silica .... 48.69 
 
 100.00 
 
 Red : Oxide of iron 8.62 
 Oxide of lead 33.93 
 Lime . . . 4.49 
 
 Magnesia . . 0.82 
 
 Soda . . . 4.78 
 
 Silica . . . 47.36 
 
 100.00 
 
 Sometimes a single space will contain two or more 
 colours, and it seems as if the pastes had been of a 
 sufficient consistency to prevent any general mixing of the 
 colours, although they blend a little at the place where 
 they meet. This mode of treatment is followed, for example, 
 when it is desired to represent the varying tints in the 
 petal of a flower, but it is not used in the diaper orna- 
 mentation. There is a marked difference in the quality of 
 the enamel pastes used in the old works and in those 
 employed in the modern ware, which lack the depth and 
 waxy softness found in the former. 
 
 In concluding these notes upon the manipulative pro- 
 cesses and characteristics of these works, it may be desirable 
 to draw attention to such examples of the Middle-period 
 ware, in the collection, as present exceptional features or 
 illustrate special points. 
 
 Nos, 22, 23, 24 ; remarkable for delicacy of the cloisons and 
 of the foundation, as well as for the perfect vitrification 
 of the enamel pastes. 
 
 Nos. 36 to 46, 49, 50, 66, 67 ; for brilliancy and diversity 
 of colouring, and accuracy of manipulation. 
 
 Nos. 35, 42 to 46, 74, 8g ; for intense hardness of the enamel 
 pastes and the brilliancy of the polish of which it has 
 proved susceptible. 
 
No. 23. No. 22. No. 23. 
 
 PLATE 
 

 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 17 
 
 Nos. 38, 39, 50, 64 to 67, 74, 87, 88, 96, 97, 129, 130, 171, 
 183, 184 and others; for the presence of the kiku and 
 kiri crests. 
 
 Nos. 47, 48, 51, 52, 64, 65, 68, 69; for great size and, at 
 the same time, perfect manipulation. 
 
 Nos. 81, 82 ; for brilliant colouring, bold treatment, and 
 
 resemblance to Chinese works in design. 
 
 Nos. 136, 137, 147, 153, 160, 161, 187, 188; for coarse 
 workmanship and crudeness of design and colouring. 
 
 In attempting to trace the history of these works it 
 is necessary, even at the risk of being tedious, to record 
 all the information which is available respecting their 
 exportation from Japan and their arrival in Europe. 
 
 A personal inspection of all the well-known Museums in 
 Europe fails to discover any examples, beyond half-a-dozen 
 pieces which have been secured by the South Kensington 
 Museum authorities since the Paris Exhibition of 1867. 
 There is not a single example in the Japanese Palace at 
 Dresden, which contains the fine collection of Hizen Porce- 
 lain, known as Old Japan, formed by August II., King of 
 Poland and Elector of Hanover, between the years 1698 
 and 1711. There are no specimens amongst the collections 
 of Japanese Art Works preserved at the Musee Royal at 
 the Hague, or at the Royal Palace in the Garden near to 
 
 that city. Nor are any to be found in the Museum at 
 
 Munich, or in Siebold’s Museum at Leyden. Neither the 
 British Museum or the Museum at Edinburgh contain any 
 examples. Kaempher,* who mentions the manufacture of 
 
 lacquer ware and pottery, does not appear to have heard 
 of enamels during his sojourn in the country, nor do I 
 
 find any reference to the subject in the works of Siebold. 
 
 The interesting and valuable collection of the art 
 works of Japan made by Sir Rutherford Alcock during 
 his residence there, and shown by him at the Exhibition in 
 
 * The History of Japan , by Engelbertus Kaempher, M.D. London, 
 1727. 
 
 C 
 
i8 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 London, in 1862, although rich in examples of lacquer 
 ware and metal work, did not contain any specimens of 
 
 enamels. 
 
 The earliest examples appear to have reached Europe 
 in 1865 ; these were three basins and plates, and the 
 
 dish of unbound Middle-period ware, catalogued in this 
 collection as No. 22. 
 
 The Paris Exhibition of 1867, which afforded the 
 first complete revelation of Japanese art, just as that of 
 1851 did of Indian art, whilst rich in the finest examples 
 of metal work, textile fabrics, lacquer ware, and the rarest 
 Kaga and Satsuma pottery, was singularly deficient in 
 examples of enamels, and it may not be uninteresting to 
 preserve a record of the nature and dimensions of the 
 specimens which that brilliant collection contained. The 
 
 most important piece was a dish, with scalloped edges, 
 
 measuring 10 inches by gf inches, and described as 
 ancient ; there were two vases and a pair of goblets, 
 
 also described as ancient ; a goblet and plate catalogued 
 as “ exceptional, owing to both sides being enamelled ; ” 
 three plates, ranging from 6 inches to 7^ inches in 
 diameter, described as ancient and very ancient, one of 
 which is included in this collection. These pieces, with 
 ten small plates, complete the list of the specimens 
 shown at the Paris Exhibition. The plate referred to 
 above, No. 33 in the catalogue, is of the unbound 
 Middle-period ware, but it lacks the careful finish and 
 
 delicate colouring of the best specimens of both the bound 
 and the unbound works of this period. 
 
 At the various Exhibitions held at London, in 1873 
 
 and 1874, at Vienna, in 1873, at Paris, in 1878, nothing 
 but modern ware was shown ; and, although I cannot 
 speak of the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876 from personal 
 observation, I am informed by my friend Professor Archer 
 that there were no old enamels in that collection. 
 
 The specimens of Japanese work included in the 
 
 Special Loan Exhibition of Enamels on Metal, held at 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 19 
 
 the South Kensington Museum, in 1874, were all selected 
 from the collection now under review.* 
 
 Further examples reached Europe at intervals from 1868 
 to 1870, and the present collection numbered fifty-nine 
 specimens at the close of the year last named, but few of 
 them were of the choicest quality, and none of them were 
 of great size, the largest being the flower vases, twenty-four 
 inches in height, numbered 72 and 73. Nearly all the 
 other works catalogued reached this country in the Spring of 
 1872, in two parcels ; they had apparently been sent out of 
 the country secretly, for many of the pieces were disguised 
 by having paper pasted over them. 
 
 Since 1872 the supply has wholly ceased, and such 
 specimens of the old ware as have been seen in the market 
 since then have probably come out of the collections of 
 those who had purchased the pieces upon their arrival in 
 this country ; they have not been very numerous, and 
 perhaps two-thirds of all the examples of these works are 
 gathered together in this collection, which thus affords an 
 opportunity for comparison and classification which would 
 not otherwise have been possible. 
 
 The period of shipment from Japan coincides with the 
 occurrence of the events which led to the retirement of 
 the Shogun, the assumption by the Mikado of the active 
 government of the country, and the termination of the 
 feudal system, which had flourished for eight hundred years. 
 Changes so great as these necessarily led to the dispersion 
 of the collections in the palaces of the Shogun at Tokio, 
 Osaka, and elsewhere, and in the yashikis or houses of 
 the nobles. 
 
 It might naturally be supposed that amongst the trea- 
 sures so dispersed would be the cloisonne enamels ; but such 
 was not the case. It is well known that the wonderful 
 assemblage of art objects displayed at Paris in 1867, formed, 
 
 * Catalogue of the Special Loan Exhibition of Enamels on Metal , held at 
 the South Kensington Museum in 1874. London, The Chiswick Press, 1875. 
 
20 
 
 CLOISONNIi ENAMELS. 
 
 in the main, the treasures of Keiki, the last of the Shoguns, 
 who sent them to that Exhibition with the intention of 
 ultimately disposing of them, in order that he might raise 
 funds wherewith to carry on the war against the party 
 which desired to restore the Mikado to the power which 
 legitimately belonged to him. It has already been stated 
 how many specimens of enamel that collection contained ; 
 and although the Shogun abdicated in 1868, and that event 
 was followed by the appearance of works of the choicest 
 lacquer ware, metal work, and other objects of art, upon 
 many of which the crest of the Tokugawa family appears, 
 not a single specimen of enamel bearing this crest is known 
 to exist. 
 
 Nor is there any reason to suppose that these works 
 came from the collections of the daimios, the great feudal 
 princes or nobles who had lived in almost regal state in 
 their respective provinces for centuries, and many of whom 
 had given liberal encouragement and protection to the artists 
 in lacquer, pottery and painting, at the period of art 
 revival during the seventeenth century. It is no uncommon 
 thing to find objects of metal-work, lacquer-ware or pottery, 
 ornamented with the crest of the noble under whose pro- 
 tection the artist lived, or, in other instances, with that of 
 the prince to whom the work was presented. In some 
 cases, indeed, the artist was permitted to engrave, or 
 otherwise place, upon the work which he produced, his name 
 and the title ondaikushi, meaning artist to the prince ; but 
 this was never done with enamels, and in only two instances 
 does the name of the maker appear upon works of this 
 class, and neither of these examples belongs to the finest 
 period. Only one instance of the use of the crest of a 
 daimio has come under my notice ; this is the crest of 
 Ii Kamon no Kami, the chief of the noble house of Hikone, 
 one of the four great families from which the regent was 
 selected whenever the youth or incapacity of the Shogun 
 rendered it necessary to appoint such an officer. His yashiki, 
 one of the finest in Tokio, was dismantled in 1871. This 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 21 
 
 crest appears upon a pair of flower vases, of ordinary merit 
 and small size. 
 
 Nor is it probable that these vessels were made for 
 the by siting, or wealthy retainers of the daimios ; or for the 
 samurai, the military men; for the favourite subjects which 
 enter into the ornamentation of the engraved iron sword- 
 gmards, the chief ornaments of these classes, are never 
 found upon enamels ; there are no representations of the 
 feats of valour displayed during the war between the rival 
 houses of Minamoto and Taira; no scenes from the historic 
 battle of Yashima, or from the adventures of Tokiwa, the 
 mother of Yoshitsune, the hero of Japan; Bisjamon, the god 
 of glory, the tutelary saint of the cavalier, is never depicted 
 upon enamels, nor does Bensaiten, the goddess of love and 
 beauty, find a place in the decoration of these works. 
 
 That they were not intended for the use of the people 
 is plain, from the nature and character of the work. And 
 this view is confirmed by the absence in the decoration of 
 those of the domestic divinities, and of the symbols of 
 
 prosperity, which appear to have been so dear to the poorer 
 classes of Japan. The common pottery, and other wares, 
 in general use amongst the people of the country, are very 
 frequently decorated with the symbols of good fortune, which 
 appear upon the Takara-bune, the ship of good fortune, 
 and with the deities to whom prayers are made for the 
 things they most desire to have. Amongst the former 
 are the mino, kasa and tsuchi, the rain-cloak, hat and 
 
 hammer, all of which are considered necessary to ensure 
 
 success in life ; the kino and sangoju, or the rolls of silk 
 and precious coral, emblematical of wealth and rarity ; 
 and the kagi, or the keys of the godown, or store- 
 house, in which precious possessions are preserved. Amongst 
 the latter are Girogin , Yebis, and Daikoku, the patron saints, 
 who are supplicated to bring to their devotees long life, 
 
 daily food and riches. 
 
 None of these popular symbols and figures are to be 
 found upon enamels, but in their place there are other 
 
22 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 forms, which are associated with those who occupy a position 
 immeasurably above any that were filled by the most noble 
 of the daimios or the most powerful of the Shoguns. A 
 glance over the catalogue will show how frequently the kiku 
 and the kiri crests, the insignia of the august and all-powerful 
 Mikado, are used upon these vessels. They appear, some- 
 times, as a portion of the ornamental designs with which 
 the objects are decorated, but in other instances they are 
 used in a more significant manner, being displayed singly, 
 or in conjunction, in medallions, of which methods of treat- 
 ment three examples are given upon the opposite page. 
 
 The use of badges or crests is very general amongst 
 the nobles and gentlemen of Japan. In nearly all cases three 
 crests are employed ; in some instances, each of these is 
 of a different form, but frequently one or two devices only are 
 used, and these are delineated in different colours. One of 
 the crests is reserved for ceremonial occasions, the others being 
 worn at times when it was not necessary to appear in state. 
 
 The Mikado has two badges; the first is the kiku crest, 
 which is derived from the crysanthemum flower ; the other, 
 the kiri , is said to have been, originally, the personal cogniz- 
 ance of the Emperor, as the Mikado is now generally 
 termed ; it is a representation of three leaves, from which rise 
 three flowers of the kiri tree, better known as the Paulownia 
 imperialism the botanical name given to it by Siebold.* 
 
 The kiku badge is generally represented with sixteen 
 petals issuing from a small circle in the centre. The kiri 
 crest is of two kinds, one of them known as the hichi-go 
 no kiri , which has seven buds springing from the central 
 flower, and five from the stems on either side of it ; and 
 the other is called the go-san no kiri, which means the kiri 
 with five and three buds upon the flower-stems. It is 
 probable that the seven and five kiri is of superior dignity 
 to the five and three form, but I have not been able to 
 
 * Flora Japonica , by Dr. Ph. Fr. de Siebold ; Lugduni Batavorum 
 Apud Auctorem, 1835. 
 
PLATE III. 
 
CLOISONN^ ENAMELS. 
 
 23 
 
 obtain definite information on this point, and can only 
 surmise that the former may have been used by the 
 Mikado personally, whilst the latter appertained to members 
 of the imperial family, or may have been used for more 
 general purposes, for it appears upon ancient gold coins. 
 The examples of the crests given below are in the form 
 generally accepted as correct in Japan. 
 
 An impression prevails amongst some of my Japanese 
 friends, with whom I have spoken on the subject, that the 
 kiku crest has, from time immemorial, been used by the 
 imperial family in the exact form which is shown in the 
 figure given above, but in this opinion they are doubtless 
 mistaken, and have not considered the probability that artists 
 would introduce variations in rendering it upon works of 
 art executed at various times, extending over a lengthened 
 period ; and I have been informed that whilst the crest 
 with sixteen petals was used by the Mikado, various 
 members of his family employed one having twelve to 
 eighteen petals. In an interesting paper,* treating of the 
 heraldry of Japan, by Mr. McClatchie, another mode of 
 drawing the crest is mentioned. He speaks of it being 
 frequently represented as a double flower, that is with the 
 rounded extremities of sixteen other petals showing, from 
 below, in the interstices at the ends of those drawn in 
 the foreground. 
 
 * Japanese Heraldry, by Thomas R. H. McClatchie. Read before the 
 Asiatic Society of Japan on the 25th October, 1876. Yokohama, 1877. 
 
 KIRI CREST. 
 Hie hi- go no kiri. 
 
 KIKU CREST. 
 
 KIRI CREST. 
 Go-san no kiri. 
 
24 
 
 CLOISONNlf ENAMELS. 
 
 The kindness of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh enables 
 me to give two illustrations of the crest in this form, 
 which I have copied from one of the three specimens of 
 lacquer ware which the Mikado presented to him upon 
 the occasion of his visit to Japan in 1869. The work in 
 question, a cabinet of black and gold lacquer, is decorated 
 with the kiku and kiri crests. These figures are shown 
 below, and it will be seen that both examples of the kiku 
 are drawn with thirty-two petals, and that the form of the 
 second crest is that known as go-san no kiri. 
 
 Much stress, also, is laid upon the custom of joining 
 the petals of the kiku badge by small segments of circles, 
 as shown in the example given upon page 23. But this 
 does not appear to have been the invariable rule, for even 
 
 Kiri Crest. 
 
 THE KIKU AND KIRI CRESTS. 
 
 From a Cabinet presented by H.I.M. the Mikado to H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. 
 
CLOISONNE^ ENAMELS. 
 
 25 
 
 at the present time there is considerable latitude assumed in 
 this respect, and the gracious condescension of His Majesty 
 the Emperor of Japan enables me to give the following 
 example of a different rendering, which is copied from a 
 pair of bronze vases which His Majesty has been pleased 
 to present to me : — 
 
 THE KIKU CREST. 
 
 From a pair of Vases presented by H.I.M. the Mikado to the Author. 
 
 The crest is also drawn in two ways upon the postal 
 stamps which have been issued since the Restoration ; upon 
 the stamp of one denomination the sixteen petals are 
 enclosed in a circle, whilst upon that of another neither 
 the circle nor the connecting links to which I have referred 
 appear, and the form is shown as it is rendered upon 
 the dish of enamel, numbered 22 in the catalogue. The 
 kiku of sixteen petals, without any border or connecting 
 links, is also used in the seal of the government offices at 
 Tokio, at the present time. 
 
 POSTAGE STAMP, ENAMEL DISH, POSTAGE STAMP, 
 
 Of 4 sen, enlarged. No. 22. Of 2 sen, enlarged. 
 
 Similar differences in the rendering of the kiri crest 
 upon authenticated works may be traced. It has already 
 been shown that the crest upon the cabinet presented by 
 the Mikado to H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh is in the 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 go-san form, and this form is also found upon gold coins 
 of some antiquity, which were brought to Holland by the 
 Dutch traders, and are now preserved in the Musee Royal 
 at the Hague. On the other hand, the hichi-go form is 
 used upon silver coins issued from the Japanese mint during 
 the present period of Meiji, which commenced in 1868, and 
 upon the postal stamps now in use. It is not necessary 
 to repeat these forms, for they differ one from the other 
 only as regards the number of the flower buds. 
 
 It appears, therefore, to be clear that the opinion which 
 obtains with some Japanese of the present day as to the 
 manner of drawing the imperial crests does not apply either 
 to the past or the present times. 
 
 Both the crests are rendered with great freedom upon 
 enamels, and this treatment may, perhaps, be explained by 
 the fact that, in most instances, they form a part of the 
 ornamentation, and are adapted to occupy certain spaces 
 which the necessities of the decoration dictate. 
 
 But they still appear as crests or badges, and are not 
 used as mere ornamentation, as the crysanthemum flower 
 was upon the Hizen porcelain which is known as Old Japan. 
 This ware, which was made during the seventeenth century 
 in the neighbourhood of Nagasaki, where the foreign settlers 
 resided, was intended for shipment abroad, and was, indeed, 
 made in European forms and principally decorated from 
 European designs.* The flower occasionally takes the form 
 of the kika crest, in some instances with sixteen petals, but 
 the number of petals upon most examples varies from twelve 
 to thirty-one. The manufacture of this porcelain, or rather, 
 perhaps, the decoration of it, was a violation of the law pro- 
 hibiting the use or export of the Emperor’s coat of arms, 
 which Kasmpher writes was in force at the time of his visit 
 in 1690, and the potter who made the specimens in question 
 was compelled to commit the hara-kiri. There is, however, 
 
 * Keramic Art of Japan, by G. A. Audsley and James Lord Bowes 
 London, H. Sotheran & Co., 1881. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 27 
 
 one marked distinction, as regards the use of the imperial 
 crests, between the Old Japan porcelain and enamels, for 
 upon the former the kiri, the badge more personally asso- 
 ciated with the Mikado, never appears, whilst it is freely 
 introduced into the decoration and compositions upon 
 enamels, and in several instances it appears in direct 
 connection with the official cognizance, and its presence is 
 rendered even more significant by its association with the 
 ho-ho and other imperial emblems. 
 
 This feature attracted the attention of His Excellency 
 Iwakura Tomomg the chief of the embassy which visited 
 Europe in 1872 ; after inspecting a number of the works, 
 he declared that they could only have been made for the 
 use of members of the imperial family ; and his opinion is 
 of the greater weight, because he was a distinguished huge* 
 or one of the ancient nobility of Japan, who resided at 
 Kioto, and were attached to the Court of the Mikado, 
 he, himself, having been a personal attendant upon the 
 
 Emperor. 
 
 It seems not improbable, therefore, that a direct associa- 
 tion may have existed between these works and the imperial 
 family, not, perhaps, with the august Mikados themselves, 
 
 for of their mode of life and of the circumstances which 
 
 have surrounded it for so many centuries little or nothing 
 is known to us, or, indeed, to their own subjects, except 
 those who have been associated with the imperial court. 
 Some intelligent Japanese, who were questioned by me on 
 this subject, replied, “We cannot answer; their lives, their 
 
 tastes and habits, and their palaces, are too high to be 
 known to us.” 
 
 * After the sovereign power had been established for a number 
 of years at Kioto, the members of the imperial family had considerably 
 increased, and they formed a class of themselves. These are the huge, 
 or Court nobles. They all, of course, claimed divine descent, and they 
 occupied the highest offices about the Court . — History of Japan, by Francis 
 Ottiwell Adams, F.R.G.S. London, 1874-75, Henry S. King & Co. 
 
 In 1869, the designations of kuge and dairnio were abolished, and 
 replaced by the general title of kazoku, or noble families. 
 
28 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 It is said that the religious laws of the country enacted 
 that the Mikado, whom one could scarcely look upon and 
 live, should never eat or drink twice from the same vessel, 
 and that when once used it should be immediately destroyed.* 
 Speaking of this custom, Kaempher says : — “ His victuals 
 must be dressed every time in new pots, and served at 
 table in new dishes ; both are very clean and neat, but 
 made only of common clay, that, without any considerable 
 expense, they may be laid aside or broke after they have 
 served once.” It is unlikely, therefore, that vessels of so 
 costly a nature and of so imperishable a character as 
 cloisonne enamels could have been made for the personal 
 use of the Mikados, although they might, indeed, have 
 formed part of the furniture of their palaces. But on this 
 subject nothing is known, and as there is no reason to 
 suppose that any of the imperial palaces have been dis- 
 mantled, or any portion of their contents dispersed, the 
 supposition may be dismissed as untenable. 
 
 Perhaps the clue to the original ownership of these 
 vessels may be found in a study of the circumstances under 
 which the unbroken succession of the descendants of Jimmu 
 to the throne of Japan has been accomplished from the 
 time of his accession in the year 660 b.c. to the present 
 day. This matter is treated at length in Mr. Walter 
 Dickson’s Japan , f and I am indebted to that work for much 
 of the following information upon the subject. 
 
 In former times, the Mikado was allowed to take twelve 
 concubines, in addition to his lawful wife, the Empress ; 
 but, even with this wide matrimonial basis, the contingency 
 of a failure of direct heirs to the throne was not con- 
 sidered sufficiently provided for, and, as a further safeguard, 
 the institution of the Shi sinwo, or Four Imperial Relatives, 
 was established. These four families were of imperial 
 
 * Keramic Art of Japan. 
 
 f Japan, by Walter Dickson. London, Wm. Blackwood & Sons, 
 
CLOISONNlf ENAMELS. 
 
 29 
 
 descent, and were set apart, with residences and revenues, 
 as supporters to the imperial family. From their ranks a 
 successor to the Mikado was elected whenever there was a 
 failure of heirs direct, and amongst their members was found 
 the husband of the Princess Imperial. 
 
 Although this arrangement has proved effective in 
 preserving an unbroken descent of the Imperial family for 
 twenty-five centuries, it had the disadvantage of placing a 
 number of men and women of all ages in an exalted position 
 without occupation for their leisure time. The members of 
 the Shi sinwo became at times troublesome to the State by 
 carrying on intrigues for their own advancement, or for the 
 gratification of their personal ambition, and it became neces- 
 sary to find such employment for them as would remove 
 them from the precincts of the Court, and at the same 
 time give them income and position. 
 
 With this object in view, a number of large and richly 
 endowed Buddhist temples were appropriated to their use ; 
 for, although the Mikado was the head of the ancient Shinto 
 religion, which existed in the country before the introduction 
 of Buddhism in the sixth century, the temples thus allotted 
 to the Shi sinwo were all of the latter denomination, and, 
 unlike the Shinto temples, the observances* in which were of 
 
 * The Shinto temples were characterized by rigid simplicity, con- 
 structed of pure wood and thatched. No paint, lacquer, gilding or 
 
 any meretricious ornaments were ever allowed to adorn or defile the 
 sacred structure, and the use of metal was avoided. Within, only 
 the gohei (*) and the daily offerings were visible. 
 
 The principles of the Shinto faith, as summed up by the 
 Department of Religion, and promulgated throughout the empire in 
 1872, are expressed in the following commandments : — 1st. Thou shalt 
 honour the Gods, and love thy country. 2nd. Thou shalt clearly 
 
 understand the principles of heaven and the duty of man. 3rd. Thou 
 
 shalt revere the Mikado as thy Sovereign, and obey the will of his 
 
 court . — The Mikado's Empire. 
 
 [a) Gohei : the cut paper hung in the Miya , or Shinto temples, to represent the 
 Kami , or deities of the Shinto religion, of whom there are said to be eight millions. — 
 Hepburn's Dictionary. 
 
30 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 the simplest character, their appointments and ceremonies 
 were of great magnificence.* 
 
 Thirty- eight temples in all were assigned to the use 
 of the imperial relatives ; over fourteen of these the princes 
 presided, and the remaining twenty-four were devoted to the 
 princesses ; but many of them were frequently unoccupied, 
 especially those appointed to the latter, either from a want 
 of zeal or the lack of candidates. These temples afforded, 
 also, a retreat for the Mikado whenever he abdicated the 
 exalted position which he filled, an event not uncommon in 
 Japan. 
 
 In this way some of the noblest and most ancient of 
 the temples came under the royal sway, and it may have 
 
 been here, under the patronage and protection of their august 
 prelates, that the art of working in Cloisonne Enamel was 
 fostered and brought to the perfection which is illustrated 
 in the collection of vessels the history of which it is the 
 
 object of this paper to trace. 
 
 The imperial temples were situated in various parts of 
 the country ; at Nara, the ancient capital, and at Kioto, 
 
 the more recent residence of the Mikado ; at Nikko, the 
 
 burial place of lyeyasu ; but the most renowned of all were 
 those of Hiyeizan, in the province of Omi, not far from 
 
 Kioto, and Toyeizan, in Tokio. 
 
 In the middle ages the group of temples at Hiyeizan 
 
 was very extensive, there being, it is said, as many as five 
 hundred ; most of them were destroyed in the sixteenth 
 
 century, when the power of the Buddhist priesthood in 
 
 * Almost everything that is distinctive in the Roman form of 
 Christianity is to be found in Buddhism : images, pictures, lights, altars, 
 incense, vestments, masses, beads, wayside shrines, monasteries, nun- 
 neries, celibacy, fastings, vigils, retreats, pilgrimages, mendicant vows, 
 shorn heads, orders, habits, uniforms, nuns, convents, purgatory, saintly 
 and priestly intercession, indulgences, works of supererogation, pope, 
 archbishops, abbots, abbesses, monks, neophites, relics and relic worship, 
 &c., &c., * * * gorgeous vestments, blazing lights, imposing processions, 
 altars of dazzling magnificence . — The Mikado's Empire. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 31 
 
 Japan received a severe check ; at that time Nobunaga,* 
 who was jealous of their influence, killed many of the priests, 
 destroyed their temples, and confiscated their revenues. J 
 Subsequently, under the more peaceful rule of the Toku- 
 gawa Shogunate, the priesthood regained much of its power, 
 and temples of great magnificence, some of which were 
 occupied by Shi sinwo, were again erected at Hiyeizan, 
 but many of these were destroyed, or dismantled, shortly 
 after the Restoration. 
 
 Toyeizan was the chief of all the imperial temples. It 
 was built by Iyemitsu, the third of the Tokugawa Shoguns, 
 in the year 1625, and stood in the grounds of Uyeno, in 
 Tokio. Mr. Mitford, in his charming Tales of Old Japan, \ 
 states that after having founded it, the next care of Iyemitsu 
 was to pray that Morizumi, the second son of the retired 
 Emperor, should come and reside there, and from that 
 
 * Nobunaga, who lived 1533-1582, was one of many clan-leaders 
 who, by genius and daring, rose above the crowd, and planned to bring 
 all the others into subjection to himself, that he might rule them in the 
 Mikado’s name. He swayed power equal to that of a Shogun, but he 
 never received that name or honour ; for, not being a Minamoto, he was 
 ineligible. But for this inviolable precedent, Nobunaga might have 
 founded a family line as proud and powerful as that of the Tokugawas 
 of a later time . — The Mikado's Empire. 
 
 t At Hiyeizan, was the most extensive monastery in Japan. Here 
 thousands of monks were congregated. They chanted before gorgeous 
 altars, celebrated their splendid ritual, revelled in luxury and licentious- 
 ness, drank their sake , eat the forbidden viands, and dallied with their 
 concubines, or hatched plots to light or fan the flames of feudal war, 
 so as to make the quarrels of the clans and chiefs redound to their 
 aggrandizement. For these bonzes Nobunaga had no respect. . . . 
 
 He resolved to destroy them. In the ninth month of 1571 he ordered 
 his generals to set Hiyeizan on fire. . . . On the next day an awful 
 scene of butchery and conflagration ensued. The soldiers set fire to the 
 great shrines and temples and, while the stately edifices were in flames, 
 plied sword, lance, and arrow. None were permitted to escape. With- 
 out discrimination of age or sex, the toothless dotard, the bonze, maid- 
 servant and concubine, and children, were speared or cut down without 
 mercy . — The Mikado's Empire. 
 
 I Tales of Old Japan, by A. B. Mitford. London, 1876. Macmillan 
 & Co. 
 
32 
 
 CLOISONNIi ENAMELS. 
 
 time until 1868, Toyeizan was always presided over by a 
 member of the Mikado’s family, who was especially charged 
 with the care of the tomb of Iyeyasu, at Nikko, and who 
 occupied the position of primate over the east of Japan. 
 The main building, and some of the other parts, of this 
 temple were destroyed by fire during the battle of Uyeno, 
 on 4th July, 1868, when the adherents of the last of 
 the Shoguns were finally defeated by the forces of the 
 Mikado. 
 
 Shortly after the Restoration in 1868, the imperial 
 government strenuously discouraged the Buddhist religion 
 and made great efforts to convert the people to the ancient 
 Shinto faith. The revenues of many of the Buddhist temples 
 were sequestrated, and the princes of the Shi sinwo resigned 
 their title of Monzeki* left their temples and retired into 
 private life. These events occurred between the year 1868 
 and the close of 1871, when, as Mr. Griffis writes, many of 
 the Buddhist schools were broken up, and all the temples 
 which had been in any way influenced by Buddhism were 
 purged and restored to the pure and simple Shinto style. 
 
 It appears, therefore, as if there were fair grounds for the 
 conjecture that these objects may have formed part of the 
 furniture of some of the imperial temples. The two greatest 
 of these temples were founded, or rebuilt, shortly after the 
 introduction of cloisonne enamelling into the country ; the 
 existence of them all was coeval with the brightest period 
 of art, and throughout their history they were intimately 
 associated with members of the imperial family. Further 
 than this, their disestablishment, and the dispersion of their 
 treasures, closely coincides with the moment of the appear- 
 ance of these works in Europe; for, although a few specimens 
 reached Europe at intervals from 1865 to 1870, it was not 
 until the spring of the year 1872 that the most important 
 
 * Monzeki is said to mean literally “the footprint” [sehi) “of the 
 Mikado ” ( Go-mon ). The first Monzeki was the Mikado Uda, who 
 
 reigned a.d. 888-897. 
 
cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 33 
 
 examples, and especially those bearing the imperial insignia, 
 were received, and then the supply ceased. 
 
 The circumstances under which many of these objects 
 were shipped to Europe lead to the conclusion that they 
 were smuggled or stolen from the temples, but, in the 
 present imperfect state of our information, it might be rash 
 to suggest which of the temples was their original home. 
 We may, indeed, surmise that it is improbable that vessels 
 so numerous, and in some instances so large, were removed 
 from the interior of the country, and it may not be unreason- 
 able to suppose that they formed part of the treasures of the 
 Tokio temple, for few of the examples bear signs of the injury 
 which such delicate works would probably have received 
 during a hurried and clandestine conveyance from a distance 
 to the port from which they were shipped to Europe. It 
 is not unlikely that, in the main, they were rescued from 
 the temple of Toyeizan at the time of its destruction in 
 1868 ; that some were then stolen and sold, whilst the 
 larger and more important works were sent out of the 
 country at the close of 1871, when the antagonism of the 
 government to Buddhism assumed a more active character. 
 
 The modern enamels of Japan merit only a passing 
 notice. Probably the earliest attempts to imitate the old 
 works were made shortly before 1869, and the first essays 
 appear to have taken the form of applying the process to 
 porcelain, instead of the customary metal, grounds. Four 
 examples of these works were brought to this country by 
 H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh in the year named, and in 
 1870 a specimen of this ware came under our notice and 
 was included in this collection. The earlier enamels upon 
 porcelain were made clearly in imitation of the ancient 
 works upon copper, the dark green grounds having been 
 closely copied ; but the pastes used were very soft, the 
 nature of the foundation requiring that they should be 
 vitrified at a low temperature, and the surfaces show none 
 of that brilliant polish which is found upon the genuine 
 E 
 
34 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 ware. Some of these modern works are marked with the 
 Chinese year-periods of the Ming dynasty. 
 
 This branch of manufacture has largely developed during 
 the past ten years, and immense quantities of porcelain 
 partially, or entirely, covered with cloisonne decoration have 
 been sent to Europe and America. At the Paris Exhibi- 
 tion of 1878, the Shippo Kuwai-sha, or the Cloisonne Enamel 
 Company, of Owari, exhibited an immense number of vases, 
 flower pots, and so forth ; but in these works the green 
 grounds had been discarded, and others of light torquoise, 
 and similar brilliant colours, substituted. 
 
 The earliest specimens of the modern work upon copper 
 foundations reached this country in 1872. They also were 
 in imitation of the old works, as regards the thin copper 
 grounds upon which they were executed, and the employment 
 of the dark green grounds powdered with the kara kusa, but 
 it was plain that the workmen of the present day had lost 
 the traditions of the art, for their productions entirely lacked 
 the perfection of finish and delicacy of colouring which 
 characterise the early works. Nearly all the examples are 
 coarse in execution, blotchy in colouring, and, although 
 some show traces of the ancient designs, none of them 
 presents any evidence of the exquisite and delicate effects 
 produced by the fertile imagination and artistic treatment of 
 the mediaeval craftsmen. 
 
 In more recent years the production of . even these 
 base imitations has ceased, owing probably to the great 
 cost of working upon the thin beaten grounds and the 
 recognised impossibility of producing satisfactory results, and, 
 in their place, works similar in character to those now 
 made upon porcelain have been produced. At Yokohama, 
 at Nagoya, in the province of Owari, and, I believe, at 
 Kioto also, the industry is now carried on upon a large 
 scale by native workmen, but mainly under the super- 
 vision of French directors, who, studying what they suppose 
 to be the requirements of the European market, have 
 produced works deficient alike in beauty of form, colour- 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 35 
 
 ing, and workmanship. Cabinets, jewel cases, flower 
 vases and dishes, some of the latter being of large 
 
 size, as much as forty inches in diameter, have recently 
 been made in great numbers. The metal grounds of these 
 works are much thicker than those used in the older 
 
 specimens, and they are frequently cast instead of being 
 beaten, and the cloisons are thick and heavy. Large spaces 
 are covered simply with the enamel pastes, the workmen 
 of the present day being deficient in the patient skill of the 
 
 artists of a by-gone age, who loved to cover the entire 
 
 surface with designs of faultless beauty wrought in a delicate 
 net-work of cloisons. The customary colours employed in 
 these works are brilliant torquoise, yellow, black, and brown; 
 diaper patterns, often of great exactitude, are used in the 
 borders, but the principal mode of decoration is by means 
 of medallions, fan-shaped or circular, which are filled with 
 flowers and birds rendered in their natural colours, and, in 
 some instances, the figures of warriors are introduced. One 
 of the principal makers, or exporters, of this coarse and 
 meretricious ware is named Seizaburo Goto, who carries 
 on his trade at Yokohama. 
 
 Another, and even more recent, development of the 
 art, is the employment of translucent pastes alone, or in 
 conjunction with the opaque pastes, which was commenced 
 at Kioto about 1879.* 
 
 A few examples of painted enamels have reached this 
 country ; they are of recent date, and are in the form of 
 circular dishes of copper, the surfaces of which are painted 
 over with buff-coloured enamels, and decorated with flowers 
 and stanzas of poetry rendered in lacquer. One specimen 
 only ol the champleve process has come under my notice ; 
 it is included in the catalogue, but it is of doubtful origin 
 and very inferior workmanship. 
 
 Closely following upon the first appearance of Japanese 
 enamels in Europe, French and English artists endeavoured 
 
 * Report of Marcus Flowers, H.M. Consul at Hiogo. 
 
3 6 
 
 CLOISONNE^. ENAMELS. 
 
 to imitate them. Perhaps the first to attempt this was 
 M. A. Falize aine, of Paris, who presented three small 
 tablets, illustrating the process, to the South Kensington 
 Museum in 1869. Subsequently MM. Christofle & Cie, 
 and M. Barbedienne, also of Paris, and Messrs. Elkington 
 & Co., of Birmingham, strenuously endeavoured to master 
 the art, but as their efforts were not successful, the attempt 
 has been abandoned, and now the champleve process only 
 is followed. All the imitations referred to are illustrated in 
 the accompanying catalogue, which also includes a sufficient 
 number of examples of Chinese cloisonne and painted enamels 
 to afford an opportunity for the comparison of the various 
 phases of the art from the earliest period to the present 
 time. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Extract from the Treatise on the Various Arts of the Eleventh Century, 
 by Theophilus, translated by Mr. Robert Hendrie. Theophilus, after 
 describing the various processes by which a golden chalice is fabricated, 
 proceeds as follows : — 
 
 “ After this you will adapt thin pieces of gold in all the settings in 
 which the glass gems are to be placed, and, carefully fitted, you take 
 them out, and with a measure and a rule you cut small bands of 
 gold, which must be somewhat thicker ; and you will bend them round 
 the rim of each piece in a double manner, so that a minute space may 
 exist around between these small bands : this space is called the border 
 of the enamel. Then, with the same measure and rule you cut small 
 bands of exceedingly thin gold, in which you will bend and fashion 
 whatever work you may wish to make in enamel, whether circles, or 
 knots, or small flowers, or birds, or animals, or figures ; and you will 
 arrange the small pieces delicately and carefully, each in its place, and 
 will fasten them with moistened flour over the coals. When you have 
 filled one portion, you will solder it with the greatest care, that the 
 slender and fine gold may not be disjointed nor liquefy ; and do this 
 twice or three times, until the separate pieces adhere a little. All the 
 enamels being composed and soldered in this manner, take all kinds of 
 glass which you had prepared for this work, and breaking a particle 
 from each piece, place all the fragments together upon a piece of 
 copper, each piece by itself, and placing it in the fire arrange the 
 coals around and above it, and blowing carefully, you will see whether 
 they melt equally ; if so, use them all ; if however any particle is harder 
 [than the rest] place it by itself. Taking separate pieces of the proved 
 glass, place them in the fire one by one, and when each one has 
 become glowing, throw it into a copper vessel in which there is water, 
 and it instantly flies into small fragments, which you break with a 
 round pestle until made quite fine, and you will thus wash it and put 
 it into a clean vessel, and you cover it with a linen cloth. In this 
 manner you prepare the separate colours. Which being done, take a 
 piece of the soldered gold, and you will fasten it upon a smooth 
 table with wax in two places, and taking a goose quill cut to a point, 
 as if for writing, but with a longer beak and not split, you take out 
 with it one of the colours of glass, whichever you please. That which 
 remains over, replace in its small cup and cover it, and do this with 
 each colour until one piece is filled : taking away the wax, to which 
 
38 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 it had adhered, place this piece upon a thin iron, which may have a 
 short handle, and cover it with another iron which is hollow like a 
 cup, and let it be perforated finely all over, so that the holes may 
 be inside flat and wide, and outside finer and rough, in order to stop 
 the cinders, if by chance they should fall upon it ; this iron may also 
 have a small ring above, in the middle, by which it may be super- 
 posed and taken off. Which being done, arrange large and long 
 coals, making them very hot, among which you make a space, and 
 equalize with a wooden mallet, into which the iron is raised by the 
 handle with the pincers, so that when covered you will place it 
 carefully and arrange the coals round and above it everywhere, and 
 taking the bellows with both hands you will blow on every side until 
 the coals glow equally. You have also a wing of a goose, or other 
 large bird, which is extended and tied to wood, with which you will 
 wave and fan strongly all over it, until you perceive between the coals 
 that the holes of the iron quite glow inside, and thus you will cease 
 to fan. Waiting then about half an hour you uncover by degrees 
 until you remove all the coals, and you will again wait until the 
 holes of the iron grow black inside, and so raising the iron by the 
 handle, you place it, covered as it is, in the furnace, behind, in a 
 corner until it has become quite cold. Then opening it you take 
 out the enamel and will wash it, and will again fill it and melt as 
 before, and you do thus until, melted equally everywhere, it has 
 
 become full. In this manner you compose the remaining pieces. This 
 
 being done, take a piece of wax the length of half a thumb, in which 
 
 you will fix the enamel so that the wax may be all round it ; by 
 
 this wax you will hold it. Then you will rub it for a long time 
 upon a hard and smooth hone, until it acquires a polish ; and you 
 will also rub upon the same stone, wetted with saliva, a piece of 
 potter’s ware, which is found amongst the fragments of ancient vases, 
 until the saliva has become thick and red ; this you anoint upon a 
 flat leaden tablet, upon which you will lightly rub the glass stone 
 until at length their colours appear transparent and clear : and you 
 will again rub the clay ware upon the hone with saliva, and you 
 anoint it upon a goat skin, smoothly fixed upon a wooden table ; 
 upon this you polish this electrum until it shines perfectly, so as if 
 one half of it were wet, and one half were dry, no one could 
 distinguish which was the wet or which the dry part.” 
 
EXAMPLES. 
 

 
 
PLATE IV. 
 
 No. 1. No. 
 
 No. 5. 
 
 No. 2. . No. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 EARLY WARE. 
 
 1. Basin ( hachi ) of rude workmanship, ornamented 
 
 on the outside with the figures of four philosophers amidst 
 clouds. The inside is decorated with conventional scroll- 
 work. Diameter, inches. 
 
 2. Basin {hachi) of coarse workmanship, decorated 
 
 on the outside in a similar manner to the foregoing example, 
 and on the inside with rudely-drawn elephants.* Diameter, 
 7 inches. 
 
 3. Basin {hachi) of similar workmanship, ornamented 
 with detached floral and conventional designs in pink, 
 yellow, red and purple, upon a light green ground ; in the 
 centre of the inside of the basin is a very rude representa- 
 tion of the ho-ho . f Diameter, inches. The following 
 
 * The elephant (20) is not a native of Japan and is seldom seen 
 in Japanese art works; it is a Buddhist emblem copied from Chinese 
 and Indian works. 
 
 f The most refined and beautiful of the Japanese chimera is the 
 ho-ho. It is in the form of a bird, of rich plumage, furnished with 
 
 a superb tail of long waving feathers. The ho-ho is a great favourite 
 
 of the Japanese artist, and he never fails to depict it with elegance 
 and gracefulness. Like the generality of the chimerical animals, the 
 ho-ho appears more frequently in ancient than in modern art-works, 
 having been introduced at a time when its existence was more firmly 
 believed in than it is now . — Keramic Art of Japan. 
 
 Ksempher, in writing about this creation, calls it the Foo, and 
 says that it is “ a chimerical, but beautiful, large Bird of Paradise, of 
 a near kin to the Phcenix of the ancients. It dwells in the high 
 
42 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 marks are worked in red enamel upon the exterior of this 
 example. 
 
 iT'i 
 
 FUKU, Prosperity. 
 
 4. Basin ( hachi ) of very rude design and work- 
 manship. It is enamelled entirely upon both sides of an 
 extremely thin foundation, and bears signs of great age. 
 The inner side is decorated with a quaint spray of flowers 
 and a peacock,* surrounded by a border of coloured bands 
 
 regions of the air, and it has this in common with the kirin, that it 
 never comes down from thence, as the Japanese religiously believe, 
 to honour the earth with its blessed presence, but upon the birth of 
 a sessin, or that of a great Emperor, or upon some such other 
 extraordinary occasion.” 
 
 A sessin is a man endowed by nature with an incomparable 
 
 understanding, and a more than human penetration ; a man capable 
 to dive into the mysteries of divine and supernatural things, and withal 
 
 so full of love to all mankind as to reveal his discoveries for their 
 
 common benefit. — Kcemphev. 
 
 The examples of this bird, given in the illustrations of the dishes 
 Nos. 38 and 44, are worthy of careful study. 
 
 * The peacock ( kujaku ) frequently receives careful study from the 
 Japanese artist. It is not a native of Japan, having been introduced 
 
 into the country at some period before the time of Kasmpher’s visit 
 
 in 1690 a.d. Speaking of an entertainment given by the Prince of 
 Hizen, on a new year’s day, this writer says : — “ Amongst other 
 
 presents made to him that day, there happened to be a Peacock and 
 
 Hen. Everyone was delighted, and struck with admiration, by the 
 uncommon beauty of these scarce foreign Birds, whence the Prince 
 took occasion to ask their opinion, which of the two they, thought 
 
 was the cock and which the hen. The gentlemen out of civility to 
 
 the ladies unanimously pitched upon the most beautiful to be 
 
 the hen ; the ladies on the contrary very modestly apprehended 
 that the finest of the two was the cock. You are in the right, 
 
 answered thereupon the Prince; Nature itself will have the man best 
 
 JIU, Longevity. 
 
JAPANESE : EARLY 
 
 43 
 
 and panels, containing white horses* with red tails and 
 manes. The border of the exterior is of green, red and 
 white enamel, and the bottom of the vessel is blue. This 
 example is much worn. Diameter, io£ inches. 
 
 5. Basin ( hachi ) of similar colouring and workman- 
 ship to the foregoing example, and in excellent preservation. 
 It is enamelled on both sides throughout upon a ground of 
 remarkable thinness, perhaps about one-twenty-fourth of an 
 inch in substance. On the inside it is decorated with a 
 peacock, and numerous floral designs and bands in red, blue 
 and white, upon a green ground ; round the rim is a zig-zag 
 border of red upon green. Externally the ground is green 
 and blue, entirely covered with irregular spiral line work. 
 Diameter, 12 J inches. 
 
 6. Basin (hachi), some- 
 what similar to the above, but 
 not of such finished workman- 
 ship. Diameter, n4 inches. In 
 the centre of the dish is the 
 following inscription rendered in 
 cloisonne enamel : 
 
 FU K U, Prospei'ity. 
 
 7. Basin (hachi) of beautiful workmanship and 
 brilliant colouring. Internally it contains a centre medallion 
 representing the fish tai\ rising from the water towards an 
 
 clad, and it seems to me incomprehensible, that the wife should have 
 more pride, and go richer dress’d than her husband, who must be 
 at the expense of maintaining her. An excellent New Year’s Sermon 
 from a Heathen Prince.” 
 
 * The horse (uma) is frequently drawn by the Japanese artists, 
 and is generally delineated with great skill. 
 
 t The tai is a red-skinned salt-water fish which is associated with 
 Yebis, one of the seven household deities of Japan. It is often 
 confounded with the fresh-water fish koi or carp, which is also 
 
44 
 
 CLOISONNIi ENAMELS. 
 
 orb placed amid clouds above. Round the rim is a most 
 effective composition of bands and floral designs. On the 
 exterior are depicted three other tai, and bold ornamental 
 devices, similar in style to the inside border. Round the 
 bottom are seven bands, containing spiral devices rendered 
 upon grounds of white, blue, green and red enamel, and in 
 the centre space is a stiff floral device terminating with what 
 appears to be the tail of a dragon. * The colours of the 
 
 frequently depicted by the artists of Japan ; examples of the latter are 
 found upon several specimens of enamel, which are described in the 
 subsequent pages of this Catalogue. In the present day the tai is 
 abundant on all the coasts of Japan, and forms one of the most valued 
 articles of the food of the people, but this was not the case at the 
 time of Kaempher’s visit to the country, for he wrote as follows : — 
 “This is very much esteemed by the Japanese as the King of Fish, 
 and a peculiar emblem of happiness, partly because he is sacred 
 to their Yebis, or Neptune, partly by reason of a beautiful variety of 
 shining colours, which appear on him when under water. It is a very 
 scarce Fish, not unlike a Carp, and finely variegated with red and white. 
 The female has some red spots. It is so scarce, that upon some great 
 entertainment at Court, or other extraordinary occasions, it is not to be 
 had under a thousand Cobangs.” He states that a cobang was then 
 worth 23 J Dutch gilders, or between 41 and 42 shillings sterling. 
 
 Tai, the name of a fish ; Serranus Marginalis. — Hepburn. 
 
 * First in rank of all fabulous creatures comes the dragon ( riyo , 
 Chinese ; tatsu, Japanese), which was doubtless derived in very early 
 times from Chinese art. In all essentials the dragons of China and 
 
 Japan are alike, the only material difference being in their imperial 
 rendering, where the former has five claws and the latter three. The 
 drawing of the dragon given in Kasmpher shows it with three claws, 
 which is the accepted form of the imperial dragon of Japan in the 
 present day, as it has been in past ages, but he writes of the animal 
 being represented in Japanese books as a “ four-footed snake,” and it is 
 noteworthy that it is so drawn upon the examples of enamel, Nos. 49, 
 59 and 60, in this Catalogue. He says, “ The Chronicles and histories 
 of their Gods and Heroes are full of fabulous stories of this animal. 
 They believe it dwells at the bottom of the Sea as in its proper 
 element. They represent it in their Books as a huge, long, four-footed 
 Snake, scaly all over the body, like the Crocodil, with sharp prickles 
 along the back, but the head is beyond the rest monstrous and terrible. 
 The Tail of the Japanese Dragon ends, as it were, into a two-edged 
 sword. Some of the Japanese Emperor’s cloth, his arms, scimeters, 
 knives and the like, as also the furniture and hangings of the Imperial 
 
JAPANESE : EARLY. 45 
 
 enamels used in this example are of singular purity. 
 Diameter, 7 I inches. 
 
 8 , 9. Cups (chawan), enamelled upon both sides on 
 a ground of extreme thinness. The inside is covered with 
 spiral work upon a white ground, and in the centre is a 
 floral device, in red, green and yellow, surrounded by a 
 border of blue. Externally they are decorated with scroll- 
 work and flowers, amongst which is a rude representation of 
 the kiku,* rendered in red and white upon a ground of dark 
 green. The third band of the ornamentation shown in Plate 
 II. is taken from one of these Cups. Diameter, 3 ^ inches. 
 
 10, 11. Cups (chawan), of delicate workmanship, 
 
 Palace, are adorn’d with figures of this Dragon holding a round jewel, 
 or pearl, in the right fore-claw. The Japanese Dragon has but three 
 claws on each foot, whereby it is distinguish’d from the Chinese Imperial 
 Dragon, which is represented with five.’’ 
 
 The following description of this creature, by a Japanese author 
 named Bakin, is copied from The Mikado's Empire : — “The dragon is a 
 creature of a very superior order of being, It has a deer’s horns, a 
 horse’s head, eyes like those of a devil, a neck like that of a snake, a 
 belly like that of a red worm, scales like those of a fish, claws like 
 a hawk’s, paws like a tiger’s, and ears like a cow’s. In the spring, 
 the dragon lives in heaven ; in the autumn in the water ; in the summer 
 it travels in the clouds and takes its pleasure ; in the winter it lives 
 in the earth dormant. It always dwells alone, and never in herds. 
 There are many kinds of dragons, such as the violet, the yellow, the 
 green, the red, the white, the black, and the flying dragon. Some are 
 scaly, some horned, some without horns. When the white dragon 
 breathes, the breath of its lungs goes into the earth, and turns to 
 gold. When the violet dragon spits, the spittle becomes balls of pure 
 crystal, of which gems and caskets are made ... As the 
 dragon is the most powerful animal in existence, so the garments of 
 the Mikado are called the ‘ dragon robes,’ his face, the ‘ dragon 
 countenance,’ his body the ‘ dragon body,’ the ruffling of the ‘ dragon 
 scales,’ his displeasure, and his anger the ‘dragon wrath.’” 
 
 * The crysanthemum ( kiku ), is the most favourite of all the flowers 
 introduced into the decoration of the art works of Japan. It is 
 cultivated very largely throughout the country, and is much used for 
 floral decorations, especially on the occasion of the Festival of Happiness, 
 of which it is the special flower. It has also furnished the design for 
 one of the Imperial Crests. 
 
46 
 
 CLOISONNEf enamels. 
 
 enamelled on the outside only. The ornamentation is of 
 the simplest description, consisting of a very minute scale- 
 work diaper, with the addition of a broad loop border. 
 The whole is executed in pure white enamel. They are 
 the only works in white enamel which the Collector has 
 met with. These examples have been gilded, and the 
 metal bottoms have been restored, probably since their 
 reception in Europe. Diameter, \\ inches. 
 
 12, 13. Small Dishes ( kozara ), all the surfaces of 
 which are enamelled. Internally they are decorated with 
 square blue medallions, each containing a rabbit in white 
 enamel, an orb amid clouds, and floral sprays. Diameter, 
 4f inches. 
 
 14, 15. Small Dishes {kozara). Decorated with the 
 pine ( matsu ),* bamboo {take),* and plum {oumai), f trees, 
 
 * Kaempher writes as follows about the pine and bamboo: — 
 “ Firs and Bambous are in great esteem among the Japanese, for 
 their constant verdure ; and the superstitious believe that they have 
 no small influence over the happy occurrences of human life. The 
 Temple-walks, and other holy places are adorned with them, chiefly 
 upon their festivals and other solemn days, and they make frequent 
 allusion to them in their emblematical and poetical writings, particu- 
 larly in congratulatory poems, for they are of opinion that they will 
 subsist a long while, that common Bambous will stand several hundred 
 years, and that the common Fir will come to the age of a thousand, 
 that then it will bend down its branches to the ground, not being able 
 to support itself any longer.” 
 
 f The oumai is largely cultivated by the Japanese gardeners, both 
 on account of the beauty and fragrance of its flowers and the use of 
 its fruit. The flowers are, however, the most highly esteemed, and 
 are alone represented upon works of art. The tree is covered with 
 blossoms in the beginning of February ; and Siebold informs us, 
 that at that time all the altars in the temples and the private 
 dwellings of the Japanese, are decked with branches of the oumai in 
 bloom, as the symbols and heralds of the spring. In art the oumai is 
 usually represented as a tree of a peculiarly angular and spiky habit, 
 so much so, that when represented as in winter, with neither leaves 
 nor flowers, it is easily distinguished from all others . — Keramic Art of 
 Japan. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 47 
 
 which, in combination, are known in Japan as Sho-chiku-bai, 
 these being the Chinese rendering of the names of the 
 pine, bamboo, and plum, and the term is accepted as 
 signifying good fortune. The second band of ornamentation 
 shown in Plate II., is taken from one of these Dishes. 
 Diameter, 4f inches. 
 
 16. Small Dish ( kozara ), partially enamelled, covered 
 with spiral work upon grounds of blue and white enamel. 
 Diameter, 4§ inches. 
 
 17. Dish, from which rises a pedestal surmounted 
 by a shell. The whole is rendered in white and green 
 enamel, with a slight introduction of black. The use of 
 this example is not clear. Height, 3! inches. 
 
 18-21. Small Cups ( chaw an ), exhibiting the various 
 modes of treatment and colouring used in early ware. 
 Diameter, 2 inches. One of these Cups furnishes the fourth 
 band of ornamentation in Plate II. Upon the bottom of 
 one of them is the following mark, which is rendered in 
 deep red enamel. 
 
 SHIOU, probably the name of the maker. 
 
 MIDDLE PERIOD WARE. 
 
 The Unbound. 
 
 22. Dish ( sara ), of square shape and of very 
 perfect workmanship, the metal divisions being of extreme 
 thinness. The colouring throughout is of great depth and 
 sobriety; the ground is dark green, and the ornamentation 
 is executed in low-toned tints of red, lilac, white, blue, 
 
4 8 
 
 CLOISONNls ENAMELS. 
 
 drab and green. The design consists of a kara shishi* 
 placed in the centre of the dish, surrounded by a bordering 
 of geometrical and floral devices, and the underside is also 
 decorated in a similar manner. Amongst the 
 devices are modifications of the kiku crest, and the 
 complete crest is four times repeated on the under 
 part of the dish, as here shown. 12 inches square. 
 
 28, 24. Pair of Basins, with Plates (hachi with sara); 
 of similar workmanship to the preceding example, but of 
 more brilliant colouring. They are enamelled upon both 
 sides, upon grounds of exceeding thinness, and the cloisons 
 used are of the most delicate substance. The ornamentation 
 consists of minute diaper patterns, arranged in circular 
 medallions, which are displayed upon a groundwork of the 
 kara kusa pattern universally found in the middle period 
 ware ; there are three medallions upon each plate ; four in 
 the interior, and the same number on the exterior of each 
 basin. Diameter of plates, 7! inches; of basins, 6§ inches. 
 
 * Next in importance to the dragon, amongst the chimerical 
 animals, is the kivin. Two forms of this beast are found in Japanese 
 Art, the one most commonly used being that known as the 'kara 
 shishi, or Chinese lion, the Japanese form being less frequently 
 
 employed. The former creation is evidently derived from a lion, as 
 may be seen by the head, the ample mane, and the hooked claws ; 
 the latter is represented with the head and breast of a dragon, the 
 body and legs of a deer, and a tail somewhat similar to that given 
 to the kara shishi, but smaller in size. The accompanying sketche s 
 of these creations are copied from Ksempher’s work, and are inter- 
 esting as showing the drawing which prevailed at the period not 
 
 later than the time of his visit to the country in 1690 a.d. 
 
 Kaempher writes: — “The good nature and holiness of this Animal 
 are so great that they say it takes special care, even in walking, 
 not to trample over the least plant, nor to injure any the most in- 
 considerable worm, or insect that might by chance come under its 
 feet. Its conception and birth require a particular constellation in 
 
 Heaven and the birth of a sessin upon earth.’’ 
 
 The Japanese author, Bakin, already quoted, says : “ The fruit of 
 the union of the dragon with a cow is the kivin.” This description 
 
 evidently refers to the Japanese form of the creature rather than 
 to the Chinese. 
 
The KIRIN, as-drawn by the Chinese. 
 
 The KIRIN, as drawn by the Japanese. 
 
5 ° 
 
 CL0IS0NN& ENAMELS. 
 
 A portion of the interior of one of the basins forms the 
 subject of the coloured plate given opposite the title page. 
 
 25. Tea Jar ( chatsubo ), of the same school, and 
 characterised by the same careful execution and chaste 
 colouring. The kiku crest is several times repeated upon 
 this example. Height, 6 inches. 
 
 26, 27. Circular Vessels, probably pencil or brush 
 
 holders ( fudetate ), ornamented with diaper patterns, scroll- 
 work and rosettes. Height, 5 J inches. 
 
 28, 29. Vessels of the same description as the pre- 
 ceding specimens. These have been formed into lamps since 
 they were received in Europe. 
 
 30, 31. Plates [sard) of sombre colouring and minute 
 execution. Diameter, 7 J inches. 
 
 32. Tea Jar [chatsubo), ornamented with floral devices, 
 amongst which are modifications of the kiku crest ; upon 
 the cover is a dragon. Height, 5 J inches. 
 
 33. Plate [sard), of octagonal shape. This was one 
 of the few pieces of cloisonne enamel exhibited in the Japanese 
 Collection in the Paris Exhibition of 1867 . The colouring 
 is very sombre, and it lacks the delicacy of workmanship 
 which characterise the examples in this section which have 
 been already described. Diameter, 6 inches. 
 
 34. Plate [sara), of 
 similar workmanship ; in the 
 centre of it is a representation 
 of the kara shishi, shown in 
 the air, above what appears 
 to be a rudely-designed land- 
 scape. Diameter, 6 J inches. 
 
 On the underside of this 
 example the character Jiu is 
 painted in dark blue enamel. 
 
 JIU, Lo?igevity. 
 

 
PLATE VI 
 
 Nos. 35 and 195. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 51 
 
 MIDDLE PERIOD WARE. 
 
 The Bound . 
 
 35. Dish (sara) of oval form ; of brilliant colour 
 and perfect execution. The cloisons are arranged with the 
 greatest exactitude, and the numerous varieties of diapers 
 and floral ornamentation with which the dish is covered are 
 executed with a precision which is seldom found even in 
 the finest examples of middle period ware. Another feature of 
 interest is the perfect vitrification of the enamel pastes, and 
 in all respects this specimen may be accepted as an instance 
 in which the skill and patience of the artist have triumphed 
 over the difficulties of the art. In addition to the ornament, 
 ation named above, is a medallion in the centre containing 
 a representation of a standard, rising from a tent of silk 
 brocade. Length, 15 inches. 
 
 The dish has been enclosed in a case since its arrival 
 in Europe, and along with it is placed another dish, No. 
 1 95 ) precisely the same size, of modern workmanship, 
 
 for the purpose of affording a comparison between the work 
 of the two periods ; on the opposite page photographic 
 copies of both are given, but, in the absence of colour, 
 these indicate but imperfectly the merits of the one and 
 the defects of the other. 
 
 36-39. Group, comprising a pair of flower vases 
 (hanaike) and a pair of dishes (sara), of fine colour and 
 delicate workmanship. The bodies of the vases are of 
 bulbous shape, with trumpet necks and semicircular handles, 
 supported upon compressed globular stands with trays and 
 leaf-shaped feet. The grounds are of dark green, covered 
 
52 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 with the customary minute leaf and flower-work, diapers and 
 various conventional ornaments. Upon each vase are five 
 medallions ; in two of them are the baskets ( kusudama ) with 
 hanging streamers attached, filled with the flowers of the 
 botan* or peony, which are hung in the boudoirs of the noble 
 ladies of Japan; in a third is a representation of kara shishi ; 
 in a fourth a tsuru, f or crane, is shown in flight amongst 
 clouds, and in the remaining medallion is an azami, or 
 thistle. The groundwork of the dishes is similar to that 
 of the vases. The ornamentation of each consists of four 
 medallions, a large circular one in the centre, and three 
 smaller fan-shaped ones in the margin of the dish. In 
 the centre is shown the ho-ho, rendered in brilliant colours, 
 
 * The botan [ Peonia Moutan,) with its crimson-coloured and fully- 
 opened flowers, gives great richness to the compositions into which it 
 enters. We are not aware to what extent the botan is cultivated in 
 Japan, but if we may judge from the representations met with in 
 works of art, one would suppose it to be developed to great perfection 
 and immense size. It is seldom used alone, except upon cloisonne 
 enamels. 
 
 t The crane (tsuru) is held in a sort of semi-veneration by all 
 classes of the community in Japan, and is, on account of its supposed 
 long life, very generally accepted as an emblem of longevity. For these 
 reasons it is one of the greatest favourites with the artists of the 
 country, and is introduced in ornamentation throughout the entire range 
 of their arts. — Kerainic Art of Japan. 
 
 Kaempher writes about the crane : — “ It is the chief of the wild 
 birds of the country, and hath this peculiar imperial privilege, that 
 nobody may shoot him without an express order from the Emperor, 
 and only for the Emperor’s pleasure or use. In Saikokf, however, 
 and in other provinces remote from the Court, a less strict regard is 
 paid to the Imperial commands. The Cranes and Tortoises are reckoned 
 very happy Animals in themselves, and thought to portend good luck 
 to others, and this by reason of their pretended long and fabulous life, 
 of which there are several remarkable instances recorded in their 
 Historical Writings. For this reason the Imperial apartments, walls 
 
 of Temples, and other happy places are commonly adorn’d with figures 
 of them, as also with the figures of Firs and Bambous for the like 
 reason. I never heard country-people and carriers call this Bird other- 
 wise than, O Tsurisama, that is, My great Lord Crane. There are two 
 different kinds of them, one white as snow, the other grey, or ash- 
 coloured.” 
 
PLATE VII. 
 
 No. 36. No. 37. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 53 
 
 with the flowing tail with which this mythical bird is drawn ; 
 it is descending towards a kiri crest. In two of the smaller 
 medallions are the azami and botan , and in the third one, 
 which is placed above the ho-ho , are representations of the 
 kiku and kiri crests, as shown in the drawing given below. 
 Height of the vases, 30 inches ; diameter of the dishes, 
 18 inches. 
 
 The beauty of the workmanship of this group, and the 
 association of the ho-ho with the imperial crests, render these 
 examples of peculiar interest. 
 
 40, 41. Dishes ( sara ), circular, of fine workman- 
 ship and brilliant colouring. The centre medallions, the 
 grounds of which are of lilac powdered with small circles, 
 contain hanging flower baskets and streamers, ( kusudama ) 
 the same as those which appear upon the vases Nos. 36 
 and 37 . The borders are divided into eight compartments 
 by wavy lines, each compartment being filled with scroll- 
 work, flowers, and diaper patterns. Diameter, 13 ^ inches. 
 
 42, 43. Flower Vases (, hanaike ), of very minute 
 workmanship and perfect vitrification, as may be seen by 
 the brilliant polish which the enamel has taken. The 
 ornamentation is of an intricate character, consisting 
 entirely of minute scrollwork, small flowers, rosettes and 
 detached diapers, executed with masterly precision in a 
 
54 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 great variety of pure and brilliant -coloured enamel pastes 
 upon the customary dark green groundwork. Height, 18 
 inches. 
 
 44. Dish ( sara ) of circular form. The ornamenta- 
 
 tion consists of a circular medallion in the centre, and 
 three fan -shaped ones in the border which surrounds it. 
 Across the centre medallion, upon a lilac ground, powdered 
 with green dots, stretches a branch of the kiri tree,* rendered 
 in brown and dark green, with the leaves treated conven- 
 tionally, above a mass of rock work and bamboo foliage ; 
 upon the tree rests a ho -ho, whilst another is seen descend- 
 ing from the sky ; the birds are unusually carefully drawn, 
 
 and are executed in exquisite colours. The medallions in 
 
 the margin are filled with compositions of diaper patterns, 
 and between them are three diamond -shaped masses of 
 similar design. Diameter, 15 J inches. The companion 
 dish is • in the Collection of H. R. H. the Duke of 
 Edinburgh. 
 
 45, 46. Dishes {sara), circular, of intricate and 
 
 singularly accurate manipulation. Their centres are orna- 
 mented with medallions containing ho -ho and branches of 
 the kiri tree ; the margins are divided into wavy radiating 
 compartments, which are filled with minute scrollwork and 
 
 * Siebold, writing about the Kiri tree ( Paulownia impevialis), says : — 
 “ It is one of the most magnificent vegetable productions of Japan. 
 Its stem, with a diameter of two or three feet, rises to a height of 
 thirty to forty feet. It branches into limbs, not numerous but strong, 
 at right angles, forming a vast crown. The broad leaves are opposed, 
 have stalks, are notched at the base in the shape of a heart, oval 
 and perfectly unbroken, or else cut into three unequal lobes [the middle 
 one of which is the longest], pointed and covered with a whitish down. 
 The beautiful and odoriferous flowers grow from the beginning of the 
 month of April, after the leaves are fully developed. They are disposed 
 in large double bunches, and thereby resemble our horse-chestnut 
 blossoms, as they also resemble, by their form, size and colour, the 
 flowers of the purple foxglove.” 
 
 It has already been mentioned that the kin crest is derived from 
 the leaves and flowers of this tree. 
 
PLATE VIII 
 

 
 
 
PLATE IX 
 
 
 No. 47, 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 55 
 
 a great variety of beautiful diaper ornaments. Diameter, 
 13 J inches. 
 
 47, 48. Pair of Lamps ( toro ), from a Buddhist 
 temple. The stands are of circular form, built up in 
 several stages, and surmounted by lamps of hexagonal shape, 
 which have pierced sides, and are covered by a roof, from 
 the eaves of which six wind -bells hang; the roof terminates 
 with a spire, on the summit of which is the jewel, or 
 sacred pearl, which is often shown in representations of 
 the dragon, clutched in the right fore-claw. The entire 
 
 surfaces of these specimens are covered with floral and 
 diaper patterns of most accurate manipulation and exquisite 
 colouring. The pieces are the largest examples of ancient 
 enamel working which the Collector has seen. Height, 
 
 62 J inches. 
 
 49. A brazier for warming the hands ( shuro ). 
 
 The body is completely covered with scrollwork, rosettes, 
 and detached masses of diaper upon a dark green ground. 
 The cover has a margin of scrollwork, and a centre 
 
 medallion containing a four-clawed dragon. The entire 
 
 work is executed with perfect precision, and the colours used 
 are of more than ordinary brilliancy, especially those used 
 in the representation of the dragon, which is rendered in 
 
 turquoise, flesh -colour, scarlet and green upon a lilac 
 ground. Diameter, 13 J inches. 
 
 50. Covered Bowl ( futasuki no hachi). The cover 
 
 has a large medallion, in the centre of a dark lilac ground, 
 
 upon which are represented an eagle * fighting with a three- 
 
 clawed dragon ; the medallion is surrounded with rosettes 
 and detached masses of diaper patterns upon a groundwork 
 of dark green. The bowl itself has a ground of the same 
 
 * The eagle ( wcishi ) is not mentioned by Kaempher, and is seldom 
 used by artists in the decoration of pottery or lacquer ; it occurs most 
 frequently upon enamels, where it is generally shown in connection 
 with the dragon, and occasionally with the imperial crests. 
 
56 
 
 cloisonn£ enamels. 
 
 kind, and it is ornamented with six medallions of different 
 forms. The two principal ones are oval, with lilac and 
 
 green grounds, and contain representations of the ho -ho 
 descending upon kin crests, rendered in the Chinese fashion, 
 as shown below ; the four smaller medallions are filled with 
 conventional designs, and in one of them appears a modi- 
 fication of the kiku crest. The interior of the bowl and 
 
 cover are lacquered in black. Diameter, 14J inches ; height, 
 11J inches. 
 
 51 , 52 . Flower-Stands ( hanaike ), of cylindrical shape. 
 The dark green grounds of these examples are covered 
 with delicate scrollwork in light colours, and each piece 
 has two large oblong panels and four smaller panels. In 
 the larger ones are boldly drawn three -clawed dragons, 
 rendered in green, turquoise, scarlet, salmon,, yellow, drab, 
 blue and white, upon dark ultramarine grounds. Two of 
 the smaller panels are filled with sprays of the botan, in 
 the third is a crane and a pine tree, and in the fourth 
 is a cock* resting upon a rock beneath a bamboo. Height, 
 42 inches. 
 
 *The ordinary domestic fowls are frequently depicted by the Japanese 
 artist, the cocks ( ondori ) being the greatest favourites. It is stated 
 that cocks are often kept in temple grounds, and are carefully attended 
 

 
 
 
PLATE X 
 
 No. 53, 
 
JAPANESE I MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 57 
 
 53, 54. Flower Vases ( hanciike ). The bodies are 
 oviform, with wide - spreading trumpet - shaped necks, from 
 which project plates with ring handles ; the stands are 
 squared at their lower portions, where they are cut away 
 to form . feet, and gradually mould themselves into the 
 circular form where they join the bodies. Small projecting 
 scalloped trays divide the stands from the oviform bodies. 
 The whole surfaces of the above - described members are 
 grounded with delicate scrollwork, rosettes, and detached 
 masses of diaper - work, upon which large medallions and 
 bold sprays of the botan are placed. The principal medal- 
 lions contain four - clawed dragons, three - clawed dragons 
 fighting with eagles, cranes, and groups of the botan. The 
 medallions upon the necks of the vases contain falcons,* 
 eagles, and branches of the pine tree. Height, 43 inches. 
 
 55. Dish ( sara ). The centre is occupied with a bold 
 
 representation of the kara s his hi, rendered in dark brown, 
 yellow, scarlet, drab and white upon a lilac ground, which 
 is powdered with scarlet and white spots. The broad 
 border surrounding this medallion is ornamented with various 
 designs in diaper and other patterns, and with three fan - 
 shaped panels. In one of them is the ho-ho resting upon 
 the trunk of a pine tree, near to which is a bamboo ; in 
 another is a nightingale f (uguisu) upon a branch of oumai, 
 beside which grows the ground pine or lycopodium ( omoto ) ; 
 
 to by priests and others, because they foretell changes of the weather, 
 and, by the regularity of their crowing, mark the passage of time. — 
 Kevamic Art of Japan. 
 
 * The falcon (taka) is jnot very frequently met with upon works of 
 art, and is more often found upon enamels than upon the more popular 
 works in pottery, lacquer, embroidery, &c. Ksempher writes, that “ they 
 were kept more for State than Sport.” The bird appears to have 
 been associated with the aristocracy of Japan, and Mr. Griffis relates 
 that falconry was practised at the Court of the Mikado, and that almost 
 every feudal lord had his perch of falcons. 
 
 •1 The plum tree is joined with the nightingale; the plum is, by 
 excellence, the poet’s tree, and the nightingale is the poet of birds> 
 loving song more than they all. — The Mikado's Empire. 
 
 H 
 
58 
 
 CLOISONN^ ENAMELS. 
 
 and in the remaining panel is the mandarin duck, * and 
 
 his mate, disporting themselves amongst the reeds ( yoshi ) 
 which grow in the water. The interest attaching to this 
 example is increased by the presence of an inscription ren- 
 dered in enamel upon it, and it is one of the two pieces 
 
 only, of middle period enamel, upon which, so far as the 
 
 Collector is aware, the name of the maker appears. The 
 
 workmanship of the piece is bold, but it is not nearly so 
 perfect or refined as that which appears in many of the 
 
 works of this period. 
 Diameter, 19^ inches. 
 
 The characters are 
 worked in metal cloi- 
 sons, upon a panel of 
 lilac enamel. Bishiu, 
 Yasumatsu, Chiozo. 
 Chiozo, the name of 
 the maker; Yasumatsu, 
 the town where he 
 resided ; Bishiu, the 
 name of the province 
 in which it is situ- 
 ated, commonly known 
 as Owari. 
 
 * The mandarin duck ( oshidovi ) is frequently found upon Japanese 
 art works, especially upon those in lacquer, and sweetmeat boxes of 
 this material are often fashioned in its shape. 
 
 The duck and the drake are nearly always shown together, and 
 are accepted in Japan as the emblem of conjugal felicity. Kasmpher 
 speaks of the birds, under the name of kinmodsui, as follows : — “ One 
 kind (of duck) particularly I cannot forbear mentioning, because of 
 the surprising beauty of its male, called kinmodsui, which is so great, 
 that being shown its picture in colours, I could hardly believe my 
 own eyes, till I saw the Bird itself, it being a very common one. Its 
 feathers are wonderfully diversified with the finest colours imaginable, 
 about the neck and breast chiefly they are red. The head is crowned 
 with a most magnificent topping. The tail rising obliquely, and the 
 wings standing up over the back in a very singular manner, afford to 
 the eye a sight as curious as it is uncommon.” 
 
PLATE XL 
 
 No. 59. No. 55 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 59 
 
 56. Dish ( sara ). The entire surface of this example 
 is occupied by a representation of the lio-ho in flight above 
 branches of the kiri tree. The drawing and execution are 
 of a bolder style than is generally found in works of middle 
 period ware. Diameter, ig inches. 
 
 57, 58. Flower Vases ( hanaike ), of similar workman- 
 ship to Nos. 42 and 43 ; they are covered with irregularly 
 disposed masses of diaper patterns, fan -shaped medallions, 
 small flowers, and the gourd-shaped fruit called hiyotan. * 
 Height, 13! inches. 
 
 59, 60. Tea jars ( chatsubo ), with covers, of bold design. 
 The ground- work of each piece is of dark green enamel, 
 relieved with scrollwork, rosettes, and diapers, upon which 
 are placed two large medallions, two smaller ones, and a 
 conventional design in pink, crimson, and turquoise. In the 
 larger panels are a four-clawed dragon on a bright turquoise 
 ground, and a lio-ho with a richly coloured tail, flying towards 
 a hexagonal device, the meaning of which is not clear. The 
 lesser medallions, which are fan - shaped and overlap one 
 another, are filled with floral designs. Height, 20 inches. 
 
 61. Dish (sara), of similar workmanship to example 
 No. 56. It is ornamented with a vigorously-rendered rep- 
 resentation of the favourite Japanese subject of the koi no 
 taki nobori, showing the fish koi f jumping up a waterfall. 
 Diameter, ig inches. 
 
 * The fruit of the hiyotan plant is a calabash or gourd, used, when 
 dried, for the purpose of carrying the national drink, sake, and is often 
 shown as a symbol, or found in scenes depicted upon works of art. 
 
 Sake is a fermented beverage, brewed from rice, and it is stated by 
 Mr. Griffis that its manufacture dates from the third century. 
 
 t The koi is a fish resembling a carp, which is found in rivers and 
 ponds, and is largely consumed in Japan. It is an especial favourite 
 with the native artists, and is more commonly represented than any 
 other fish ; it is drawn in various situations, the most common one being 
 that of ascending a waterfall. Professor Archer, in an interesting 
 
6o 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 62, 63. Candlesticks (rosokutate ) , of quaint form, with 
 prickets for the candles. They are decorated with diaper 
 patterns and scrollwork. Height, 22 inches. 
 
 64, 65. Flower Vases ( [hanaike ). The bodies are of 
 classic form, with wide -spreading trumpet -shaped necks, 
 scalloped round the rims ; the stands are square, and are 
 formed so as to gradually mould themselves into the form 
 of the vases, from which they are divided by scalloped trays. 
 The whole surfaces are grounded with minute scrollwork 
 and rosettes, upon which are placed medallions and sprays 
 of the botan. The two principal medallions on each vase 
 are upon the body; in one is a three -clawed dragon, and 
 in the other an eagle fighting with a dragon. Upon each 
 of the stands are four fan - shaped medallions, containing 
 flowers of the botan. In three medallions, upon the neck 
 of each vase, are the take , oumai, and the matsu, and beneath 
 them the kiri crest, as shown below, appears twice. These 
 examples are of especial interest, owing to the beauty and 
 purity of their form, and, in this respect, they afford a 
 favourable contrast to the majority of the vessels, whether in 
 
 paper which appeared in the Art Journal of January, 1874, says: — 
 “ A learned Japanese has informed the writer that this fish jumps up 
 waterfalls to deposit its spawn, which produces innumerable young ; 
 it is, therefore, taken as an emblem of strength, in being able to 
 ascend against difficulties, and also of fecundity.” 
 
 Kaempher writes : “ They are so strong that two men can hardly 
 hold them. They are exported all over the empire, fresh and pickl’d.” 
 The hoi is frequently employed in connection with the celebration 
 of the festivals of Japan, especially with that of the Feast of Boys, 
 when in the form of a large paper fish it is hung upon a bamboo 
 pole outside the houses. Mr. Griffis writes : “ It is intended to 
 show that a son has been born during the year, or at least, that 
 there are sons in the family. The fish is the carp, which is able to 
 swim swiftly against the current, and to leap over waterfalls. This 
 act of the carp is typical of the young man, especially the young 
 samurai mounting over all difficulties to success and quiet prosperity.” 
 
 (a) Samurai , a general name for all persons privileged to wear two swords, from the 
 Shogun and Daimio down to the lowest grade; also the military class. — Hepburn. 
 
PLATE XI l 
 
 No. 64, 
 
JAPANESE: MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 61 
 
 enamel or pottery, produced by Japanese artists. Height, 
 43^- inches. 
 
 66, 67 . Bottles ( tokuri ), with globular bodies and 
 long straight necks. The necks are banded with four rings 
 of powderings upon deep blue and turquoise grounds, and 
 the bodies are covered with the customary floral designs 
 upon a lilac and turquoise groundwork, on which are placed 
 two fan - shaped medallions, and numerous smaller devices, 
 amongst which are several kiku crests. The workmanship 
 of these examples is of a noteworthy character ; the vitri- 
 fication of the enamel pastes has been perfectly achieved, 
 and the copper foundation is so slight in substance that 
 the bottles are no heavier than vessels of the same size 
 blown in thin glass. Height, 13 inches. 
 
 THF. KIKU CREST, upon Nos. 66 and 67. 
 
 68, 69 . 
 
 Dishes (sum). These pieces each contain, 
 
62 
 
 CLOISONNIlf ENAMELS. 
 
 in large central medallions, boldly drawn three-clawed dragons, 
 executed in various brilliant colours upon a light blue 
 ground, which is powdered with rosettes and small circles, 
 The medallions are surrounded with margins of intricate 
 scrollwork, upon which panels filled with the following subjects 
 are disposed : — On one dish ( a ) the botan and the cho , or 
 butterfly ; ( b ) the sakura , or cherry tree,* and the bird named 
 yamagara ; (c) the oumai and the tsubakura, or swallow. 
 
 The first and third panels on the other dish contain the 
 
 * The sakura, or cherry tree (Primus Pseudo -cerasus), is, like the oumai, 
 cultivated only for its blossoms, the beauty of which has been 
 celebrated by the poets of Japan from the earliest ages. The tree is 
 planted in temple and pleasure gardens, and gives forth a great 
 profusion of blossoms during the month of March, of which month it is 
 emblematical. It is also associated with the festival of kina, one of 
 the six seasons celebrated in Japan until recent years. 
 
 Sosei, a distinguished poet who lived in the ninth century, in an 
 ode to Spring, wrote as follows : — 
 
 Whom would your cries, with artful calumny, 
 
 Accuse of scatt’ring the pale cherry-flow’rs ? 
 
 ’Tis your own pinions flitting through these bow’rs, 
 
 That raise the gust which makes them fall and die ! 
 
 The Classical Poetry of the Japanese, by Basil Hall Chamberlain ; 
 Trubner & Co., London, 1880. 
 
 The following ode was written by Niudo Saki no dai sojo Daijin, 
 a poet who lived about 1227 a.d. : — 
 
 The court with Sakura’s flowers is strewn, 
 
 As thick as though the drifted snow 
 Did thereon lay : and I too soon 
 
 As withered low, shall lie ’neath blow 
 Of man’s inevitable foe. 
 
 Japanese Lyrical Odes, translated by F. V. Dickins, M.B. Smith, 
 Elder & Co., London, 1866. 
 
 In the Genji Monogatari [translated by Suyematz Kenchio, Trubner 
 & Co., London, 1882] , a romance written in the tenth century, 
 mention is made of a feast being held to celebrate the coming into 
 blossom of an old cherry tree, at the front of the palace, known as 
 Ukon-no-sakura. 
 

 PLATE XIII 
 
 The underpart of No. 81 
 
 No. 68. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 63 
 
 same subjects, but in the second there is a kiji* or pheasant, 
 and matsu tree. As is usual with all dishes of enamel, 
 the outsides of the borders are covered with scrollwork and 
 various designs in cloisonne enamel, as carefully worked as 
 the interior decoration. Diameter, 24 inches. 
 
 70, 71. Dishes ( sara ), of rough workmanship, con- 
 taining in the centre blue medallions, on which the ho -ho 
 and the kiri crests are shown. In the margin surrounding 
 the medallions are panels, containing flowers, amongst which 
 is the asagao, the convolvulus or morning glory. Diameter, 
 14I inches. 
 
 72, 73. Flower Vases (. hanaike ), covered with scroll- 
 work, small flowers and diaper patterns, upon which are 
 placed two large oval and two smaller fan-shaped medallions, 
 in which are shown the ho -ho , tsuhakura , and yamagara. 
 Height, 24 inches. 
 
 In one of the larger medallions the following mark 
 appears. The upper character is Dai, meaning Great, 
 and the lower is a badge known as Mitsu uroku, or 
 three scales ; and the entire figure is probably the 
 mark of the maker. 
 
 74. Deep Basin, of very dark green ground. This 
 specimen is faultless in execution and finish. The cloisons 
 are of the utmost delicacy, and the enamel pastes are 
 much harder than those usually employed, and on that 
 account have received a higher polish. The ornamentation 
 consists of two diagonal bands, and several detached masses 
 
 * The pheasant (kiji) is a great favourite of the Japanese artists, 
 especially those who decorate pottery ; it is frequently shown ac- 
 companied by its hen, and associated with the cherry-blossom. 
 Kaempher mentions one variety of uncommon beauty, and says that 
 it is “ remarkable for the various colours and lustre of its feathers, 
 and for the beauty of its tail, which equals half a man’s length, and 
 in a curious variety and mixture of the finest colours, chiefly blue 
 and gold, is in no ways inferior to that of a peacock.” 
 
64 
 
 cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 of diaper patterns, floral sprays and various designs and 
 figures, rendered in turquoise, brown, pink, crimson, white 
 and lilac, upon the dark green ground ; and there are also 
 two representations of the kiku crest as it is here drawn. 
 The fellow to this basin is preserved in the 
 South Kensington Museum. Height, \\ inches ; 
 diameter, qf inches. This example may have 
 formed part of a tabakobon or smoking case, and 
 have been used to hold a piece of lighted charcoal. 
 
 75, 76. Waterpots ( midzusashi ), of similar workman- 
 ship to the foregoing example. They are ornamented with 
 delicate scrollwork, overlapping medallions, rosettes and diaper 
 patterns. The colouring of these pieces is rich and har- 
 monious. Height, 7 inches. 
 
 77, 78. Dishes {sard) ; the centre of each is occupied 
 by a three-clawed dragon, rendered in green, scarlet, yellow 
 and flesh-colour ; radiating from the centre are eight leaf- 
 shaped compartments, filled with diapers, powderings and 
 ornamental designs. Diameter, 14 J inches. 
 
 79, 80. Tea jars ( chatsubo ), with covers. Each jar 
 has two circular medallions placed upon the customary 
 groundwork of ornamental patterns; in one of them is the 
 matsu , and in the other a ho-ho flying upwards, an unusual 
 position for this bird in Japanese art; over each medallion 
 is a kiku crest. Height, 17 ^ inches. 
 
 81, 82. Flower Vases ( hanaike ), of very unusual colour 
 and ornamentation for Japanese enamels. The decoration 
 of these pieces bears a strong resemblance to Chinese work 
 in design and colour, and has in these particulars unques- 
 tionably been copied from the works produced in China 
 during the period of Khein-long (in Japanese Kenriu ), 1736 - 
 1795 a.d., when the finest works of the Chinese enamellers 
 were produced. But a slavish copyism has not been indulged 
 in ; the forms and colours are Chinese, but the hand and 
 the skill of the Japanese artist are everywhere present. 
 
PLATE XIV. 
 
 No. 81. 
 
 m $ ; 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 65 
 
 Upon each vase are two circular medallions, each of which 
 contains the Japanese imperial three-clawed dragon. The 
 bodies of the vases are covered with arabesque designs, 
 executed with great freedom and precision in scarlet, pink, 
 white, dark blue and pale green upon a light blue ground. 
 The colouring of these interesting pieces is harmonious and 
 brilliant, and affords a striking contrast to the extreme 
 sobriety affected by the Japanese enameller. On the underside 
 of the stands are circular medallions illustrating the processes 
 of the art ; the spaces formed by the cloisons have been only 
 once filled with the enamel pastes and once vitrified, leaving 
 the cells in a hollow state, and prepared to receive the 
 
 succeeding fillings and firings. Height, 27 ^ inches. 
 
 83-86. Circular Vessels. The surface of each is 
 
 entirely covered with minute scrollwork and diaper patterns. 
 Height, 14 inches. 
 
 87, 88 . Flower Stands ( hanaike ), used for the purpose 
 of holding the characteristic bouquets* of the Japanese. 
 
 * “ In the formation of bouquets, dwarf trees and clusters of 
 giant flowers are associated together without the slightest attempt at 
 symmetrical arrangement ; indeed, anything like uniformity or balance 
 of parts appears to be studiously avoided in these groupings. A 
 piece of bamboo sometimes rises vertically from the vase, amidst the 
 flowers, with a stray leaf or two of its own ; a delicate creeper 
 
 twining around it, or a slender branch of some choice plant, stuck 
 
 through a hole in its side, and deriving moisture from water or soil 
 contained within ; or when the bamboo is of considerable dimensions, 
 with a perfect miniature pine or oak planted in soil contained in the 
 top joint, and flourishing as luxuriantly in its vase as its more 
 favoured friends on the mountain side .” — Keramic Art of Japan. 
 
 “In a handsome Japanese drawing-room there must be & toko — -that 
 is to say a sort of recess, with shelves, expensively wrought of the 
 very finest w r oods. In this toko must be exhibited a single picture — 
 no more — beneath which must stand a vase with flowers. Now, not 
 only must the picture be suited to the particular occasion, and there- 
 fore constantly changed, but a similar congruity in the flowers is 
 indispensable ; the kinds, the intermixture, the number, and even the 
 proportion between the green leaves and the gay blossoms, must all 
 be regulated according to the especial occasion. The laws that govern 
 I 
 
66 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 The bodies are oviform, supported on ogee stands, from which 
 they are divided by small scalloped trays, and they have 
 dish-shaped tops for the reception of the bouquets. Upon 
 each of the bodies are two medallions, in one of which there 
 is an eagle, and in the other a dragon; and upon the trays 
 are birds, perhaps the yamagara, flying between two kiri crests. 
 Height, i 6 | inches. 
 
 89. Dish ( sara ), of circular form and of beautiful 
 design and finish. The centre is completely filled with 
 delicate diaper-work and small flowers of various designs ; 
 from this radiate eight curved compartments, densely filled 
 with ornaments similar to those in the centre. The work- 
 manship of this specimen is exceedingly minute. Diameter, 
 13 inches. 
 
 90. Dish (sara), of oval form ; it is ornamented in 
 the centre with a three-clawed dragon, in dark blue, bright 
 green, turquoise, flesh tint, and red, on a light lilac 
 powdered ground. The margin, of deep green, is covered 
 with scrollwork and flowers. Length, 15 inches. 
 
 the variations are formed into a system, and a book treating of this 
 complicated affair is one of those studied by young ladies at school.” 
 Apparently a compilation from Siebold, and more recent writings of 
 Dutch visitors to Japan (no author’s name), London, 1841, John 
 Murray. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD 
 
 6 7 
 
 91, 92. Oval Dishes, of minute workmanship, orna- 
 mented with dragons, similar to the foregoing example, 
 on purple grounds powdered with dots. The margins are 
 covered with elaborate diaper patterns. Length, 15 inches. 
 
 93. Oval Dish, of dark green ground, decorated 
 with scrollwork, and three masses of diaper-work in bright 
 colours. Length, 15 inches. 
 
 94, 95. Trays (bon), completely enamelled on both 
 
 sides. On the faces of the trays are turquoise medallions 
 
 containing representations of the ho-ho flying above kin 
 
 crests, and on the undersides are similar medallions, which 
 
 are filled with scrollwork and interlacing circular medallions 
 with green grounds. All the margins are dark green, and 
 
 are covered with conventional devices. Length, 11 inches. 
 
 96, 97. Bowls (, hachi ), of perfect workmanship, and 
 ornamented with designs of much interest. In the inside 
 of each bowl is a circular medallion surrounded by a broad 
 border of diaper and other ornamentation ; in the medallions 
 are kara shishi descending from clouds upon undulating 
 ground, from which rise sprays of the botan. The exterior of 
 each piece is as carefully enamelled as the interior, and has 
 a similar border, containing three fan-shaped medallions, in 
 one of which is a group of the take , rendered in dark green 
 upon a chocolate ground; another is filled with the hanging 
 pink and white racemes of the wisteria* upon a lilac ground; 
 
 * The fuji (Wisteria Chinensis) is frequently met with in works of 
 art, and is almost as highly esteemed as the botan by the Japanese. 
 Siebold gives some interesting particulars regarding it. The fuji is a 
 creeping plant which grows to a great size, and is of such a spreading 
 habit that the Japanese train it so as to form arbours and covered 
 walks in their gardens and temple grounds. Its roots extend a con- 
 siderable distance, producing several stems, which reach the size of 
 from three to four inches in diameter, and, climbing like our honeysuckle, 
 frequently attain the height of eighteen feet, where, supported by a 
 trellis-work, they spread out into foliage covering a space of twenty or 
 thirty feet square. Below this the graceful racemes hang in luxuriant 
 masses, often three feet long, and, waving in the spring air, produce 
 
68 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 and in the third the kiku and kiri crests appear in com- 
 bination. Diameter, 13 inches. 
 
 THE KIKU AND KIRI CRESTS, upon Nos. 96 and 97. 
 
 98. Bowl ( hachi ). The inside is ornamented with a 
 
 a most beautiful effect. It is usually in this drooping position that 
 the flowers of the fuji are represented in art. The wisteria is in full 
 bloom in the months of April and May, and during that time all 
 classes of people resort to the gardens, strolling along the covered 
 paths, or congregating in the arbours to amuse themselves in drinking 
 their favourite sake, and in dancing and singing to the sounds of musical 
 instruments. It is here they improvise pieces of poetry in honour of 
 the plant, or in praise of the sweet spring-time, and, writing them on 
 slips of paper, attach them to the most beautiful bunches of flowers. 
 Japanese literature is rich in witty and amusing stanzas written in 
 honour of the fuji, in which it is alluded to as the emblem of youth 
 and spring . — Kevamic Art of Japan. 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain gives the following stanza, which is attributed 
 to Hitomaro, the most celebrated of the poets of Japan, who lived in 
 the eighth century : 
 
 In blossoms the wisteria-tree to-day 
 
 Breaks forth, that sweeps the wavelets of my lake : 
 
 When will the mountain-cuckoo come and make 
 The garden vocal with his first sweet lay ? 
 
 The wisteria among flowers, and among birds the cuckoo, are the 
 poetical representatives of early summer, as are the plum-blossom and 
 the nightingale of early spring. 
 
 In the Genji Monogatari it is stated that a dress made from the 
 bark of the wisteria was worn by those who were in deep mourning 
 for near relatives. 
 
JAPANESE I MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 69 
 
 four-clawed dragon, and the kiku crest is repeated three 
 times ; the exterior is enamelled with a wedge-shaped orna- 
 ment. Diameter, g inches. 
 
 99. Service, consisting of a tray, teapot ( kibisho ), 
 two cups and saucers and a box. All the pieces are 
 ornamented with scrollwork, rosettes and diaper patterns 
 upon the customary green grounds. The several articles were 
 procured at different times, and grouped by the Collector. 
 Length of tray, I2f inches. 
 
 100, 101. Dishes [sara) ornamented with the kiku 
 crest, and with dragons, one of which holds the sacred 
 jewel {tamo) in one of its fore claws, and the other a spear 
 point in the curl of his tail ; on each dish there are two 
 fan-shaped medallions containing birds and trees. Diameter, 
 14 T inches. 
 
 102. Oval Dish, decorated with a scalloped medallion 
 
 of blue, containing a device in pink and red. Length, 15 
 
 inches. 
 
 103, 104. Jars, with covers ( chatsubo ). Upon the 
 
 customary groundwork of dark green enamel, relieved with 
 scrollwork, rosettes and diapers, a large circular medallion, 
 upon each jar, is disposed upon sixteen smaller ones over- 
 lapping each other and forming a border to the larger 
 one, which is completely filled with a representation of the 
 ho-ho , whose tail is adapted to the circular shape of the 
 medallion. On the reverse of the jars are sprays of the 
 botan, and upon the sides is the character Jiu, which 
 means longevity. Height, 15 k inches 
 
 105, 106. Flower Vases ( hanaike ), with grounds of 
 deep bluish -green, covered with scrollwork, and studded 
 with flowers in scarlet, salmon, and white. The principal 
 medallions contain three -clawed dragons and ho-ho, and in 
 the subsidiary ones are falcons and sprays of the botan. 
 Height, 31 inches. These examples are rendered the more 
 
7 o 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 interesting by the presence of the following inscriptions, 
 which are enamelled upon the necks of the vases. 
 
 The inscriptions are rendered in cloisonne enamel. Fu-so 
 
 DAI-ICHI MUSUME KON-SHO TAMENI KIMI HIRAKU. HaNA NO 
 SHIN-I O SHIRANTO HOTTSEBA SANKO TSUKI O FUNDE KITARE. 
 
 Taken together, they are a burlesque of a well-known 
 Japanese poem which is said to have been composed by a 
 lady named Kamei Shokin, as a reply to the solicitations 
 of her lover : 
 
 ’Tis the first plum in Japan, 
 
 It will bloom to-night for your sake. 
 
 If you wish to know the true will, 
 
 Come at twelve o’clock when the moon is bright. 
 
 107, 108. Flower Vases' ( hanaike ), of cylindrical form, 
 with spreading feet. Each piece is decorated with four 
 panels ; the principal one is filled with a three -clawed 
 dragon, and in the minor panels are the mastu , tsuru , and 
 botan. Height, 20 ^ inches. 
 
 109. A Service, consisting of a tray, kettle, and 
 covered cup, grouped by the Collector. Upon the tray is 
 a circular medallion, containing a representation of the koi 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 71 
 
 no taki nobori, which is overshadowed by a matsu. Scattered 
 over the medallion are small detached masses of diaper-work, 
 an unusual treatment of this form of decoration, which is 
 rendered more noticeable by the presence of a kiri crest. 
 In the surrounding margin this crest again appears in con- 
 junction with the kikn crest. On the border of the back of 
 the tray the crests are repeated, and the kiri is shown in 
 a fan-shaped medallion, which occupies the centre of the 
 bottom of the tray. Diameter, 13^ inches. 
 
 The kettle is decorated with rosettes and floral pat- 
 terns, and the kikn crest appears four times. Height, 8f 
 inches. 
 
 THE KIKU CHEST upon the Kettle. 
 
 The cup and cover are interesting, owing to their being 
 enamelled upon white metal, and with white metal cloisons, 
 which is very unusual. These examples are covered with 
 groups of minute diaper designs, executed in brilliant coloured 
 but rather soft, enamel pastes. Height, 4^ inches. 
 
 Sake Bottles ( kandotskuri ), of minute work- 
 
 110 - 112 . 
 
7 2 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 manship, and rather sombre colouring. They are covered 
 with diaper and other patterns, and the kiku crest appears 
 three times upon each bottle. Height, 6£ inches. 
 
 THE KIKU CREST upon Nos. 110-112. 
 
 113. Water-pot (midzusashi ) , decorated in the cus- 
 tomary manner with floral and diaper ornamentation. Upon 
 the body are two kiri crests, and the lid is completely 
 covered with a ho -ho , with distended wings and tail spread 
 out. Upon the knob of the lid is a kiku crest of twenty-two 
 petals. Diameter, 7 f inches; height, including handle, 12 
 inches. 
 
 114, 115. Dishes (sara), of oblong shape. These pieces 
 are decorated with borders of floral design, and bands of 
 conventional ornamentation in crimson, white, light green, 
 and purple enamels upon grounds of dark green. In the 
 centre of each is an oblong medallion, in one of which is 
 the mountain Fusiyama* and in the other a garden scene, 
 
 * Throughout the entire range of Japanese Art there is one 
 peculiar form introduced, that of a truncated cone, with gently curving 
 
PLATE XV 
 
 No. 114, 
 No. 91. 
 No. 115. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 73 
 
 with a matsu , and a wisteria tree from which hang long 
 drooping racemes. Length, gf inches. 
 
 sides ; this represents Fusiyama, an extinct volcano. It is held in 
 the highest admiration by the natives of the empire, on account of its 
 great beauty and religious associations . — Kcramic Art of Japan. 
 
 E. B. de Fonblanque, (a > speaking of Fusiyama, says: — “If there is 
 one sentiment universal among all classes of Japanese, it is a deep and 
 earnest reverence for their sacred mountain, Fusiyama — the temple, the 
 grave, and the monument of the father of their faith. Created by a 
 convulsion of nature in a single night, Fusiyama reared its proud crest, 
 and challenged the worship and the love of millions who, from the extreme 
 ends of the island, gazed with awe and devotion upon its snowy peak as 
 it glittered for the first time in the morning sun, or faded into the mist 
 of evening. And this reverence has survived time and change ; has 
 grown with the growth and strengthened with the strength of the 
 Japanese people. Fusiyama is their ideal of the beautiful in nature ; 
 and they are never weary of admiring, glorifying and reproducing it. 
 It is painted, embossed, carved, engraved, lacquered, modelled on all 
 their wares ; men carry it in their pockets, women wear it on their 
 persons, and children by the roadside build miniature Fusiyamas of mud, 
 as our own make dirt -pies. . . While all share in the admiration, 
 it may be doubted whether they partake alike in the religious associa- 
 tions connected with Fusiyama, or in the perfect confidence with which 
 the mass of the people view it, not only as the shrine of their dearest 
 gods, but the certain panacea for their worst evils, from impending 
 bankrupcy or cutaneous diseases, to unrequited love or ill luck at play. 
 The annual pilgrimage is accordingly performed by thousands upon 
 thousands. If attended with beneficial results, the gods are praised and 
 Fusiyama is glorified ; if otherwise, the pilgrim has the melancholy 
 satisfaction to know that his own sins are at fault and require further 
 expiation. Men of rank never take part in these pilgrimages, and 
 women are only allowed to do so once in every sixty years.” 
 
 Kaempher writes: — “It is incredibly high, and not unlike the peak 
 of Teneriff, the adjoining mountains appearing like so many low hills. 
 Its top being almost perpetually covered with snow, and there being 
 constantly some flocks of it blown off on all sides, it looks, in high 
 winds, as if it were covered with a hat of clouds and smoke. For 
 it must be observed, that it is seldom calm at the top, for which 
 reason people ascend it for religious purposes, there to worship their 
 TDolus, or God of the Winds. Poets cannot find words, nor painters 
 skill and colours, sufficient to represent this mountain, as they think 
 it deserves.” 
 
 {a) Niphort and Pc-che-li ; or, two years in Japan and Northern China • London : 
 Saunders, Otley & Co. 1862. 
 
 K 
 
74 
 
 CLOISONNEf ENAMELS. 
 
 116. Dish ( sara ), of oblong shape ; it is of similar 
 character to the foregoing specimens ; the centre medallion 
 contains a representation of a temple garden, in which there 
 is a wisteria in blossom and a pine tree. Length, gf 
 inches. 
 
 117. Dish (sara), of oblong shape, of beautiful work- 
 manship and design, and of very subdued colouring. The 
 prevailing tint is pale green, and the various patterns with 
 which it is covered are executed in white, crimson, purple, 
 yellow and other tints; in the centre is an oblong medal- 
 lion filled with small masses of diaper and other designs. 
 Length, gf inches. 
 
 118. 119. Dishes (sara), of careful manipulation and 
 
 bright colouring. The centre medallions are occupied with 
 representations of the ho-ho descending upon the kiri crest. 
 Diameter, 14 J inches. 
 
 120-125. Plates (kozara), covered with scrollwork, 
 
 diapers, and flowers, upon dark green grounds. Diameter, 
 7 f inches. 
 
 126. Dish (sara), of hexagonal form, with scalloped 
 border, ornamented with small designs upon a dark green 
 ground. Diameter, 13 inches. 
 
 127. Dish (sara), entirely covered with minute diaper- 
 work, rosettes, and powderings, amongst which the kiku 
 crest appears four times, Diameter, iof inches. 
 
 128. Flower Vase (hanaike). Upon one side of the 
 body of the vase is a large and boldly-drawn three-clawed 
 dragon, and on the reverse is a circular medallion filled 
 with a spray of the botan ; on the sides are groups of 
 characters which probably signify jiu, meaning longevity. 
 The neck is decorated, on one side, with a ho-ho, resting 
 upon a kiri tree, and upon the other with the shakuyaku , 
 a plant of the same species as the botan. The side of 
 the vase is covered with botan flowers, and upon the other 
 

 
 
PLATE XVI. 
 
JAPANESE: MIDDLE PERIOD. 75 
 
 is a ho-ho. Height, 364 inches. The companion to this 
 vase is preserved in the Art Gallery of Liverpool. 
 
 129, 130. Flower Vases ( hanaike ), of good form and 
 unusually deep-toned colouring. The bodies are oviform, 
 with ogee bases, and trumpet necks, with large loop handles. 
 The grounds are of dark green, covered with the custom- 
 ary minute leaf pattern, upon which are placed masses of 
 diaper-work and small flowers. On one side of each vase 
 is a three-clawed dragon, which extends over the neck as 
 well as the body ; the dragons are executed in green, 
 scarlet, yellow, turquoise, salmon, and white, upon a deep 
 blue ground powdered with white. Upon the reverse 
 side of the body of one the kiku and kiri crests are 
 rendered in scarlet, blue, and salmon, upon a purple 
 ground, and upon the neck a spray of botan is shown in 
 a turquoise medallion ; upon the other vase the position of 
 these decorations is reversed, the crests being upon the 
 neck and the botan upon the body. The presence of the 
 two imperial crests, which are shown in the illustrations of 
 the vases, and the importance with which they are displayed 
 upon these specimens, render these vases of great interest. 
 Height, 24 inches. 
 
 131, 132. Flower Vases [hanaike), of intricate work- 
 manship. The bodies- are bulbous, with thick necks and 
 segmented handles, and are supported upon compressed 
 globular stands, with hexagonal trays and three leaf-shaped 
 feet. The whole surfaces of the pieces are covered with 
 minute ornamentation. Height, 17J inches. 
 
 133, 134. Flower Stands [hanaike), for holding cere- 
 monial bouquets. The form of these pieces is very quaint ; 
 the bodies are bulbous, with straight necks, and dish-shaped 
 tops, in which are circular holes for the reception of the 
 bouquets, the whole being supported upon curved feet. The 
 bodies, feet, and underside of the tops are covered with 
 scrollwork, diapers, and rosettes ; the upper surfaces of the 
 tops are covered with ho-ho and kiri crests. Height, inches. 
 
76 
 
 CLOISONNE^ ENAMELS. 
 
 135. Jar, with cover ( chatsubo ), of rather rough work- 
 manship. Upon two sides are circular medallions filled 
 with wavy radiating compartments of ornamented designs. 
 Upon the other side of the jar are two large kiku crests 
 in the centre, and two smaller ones below. Height, ioj 
 inches. 
 
 136, 137. Covered Dishes ( futatsuki no hachi) , of rude 
 workmanship. The cover of one is decorated with a koi 
 ascending a waterfall, and the other with a falcon resting 
 upon a matsu tree. Diameter, n inches. 
 
 138, 139. Tea Jars [chatsubo), of rough workmanship. 
 They are covered with diaper patterns rather carelessly 
 executed, and upon one of them are two masks. Height, 
 6 inches. 
 
 140. Cake Box (kwashiire), decorated with scrollwork 
 on a blue ground. Diameter, 4^ inches. 
 
 141. Covered Bowl, for cakes ( kwashibachi ), decorated 
 with circular medallions filled with diaper patterns, and 
 with three kiri crests. Diameter, 6J inches. 
 
 142. Covered Bowl, for cakes [kwashibachi), of deli- 
 cate workmanship and subdued colouring ; the cover is 
 decorated with a representation of the kara shishi. Dia- 
 meter, 6 inches. 
 
 143. 144. Flower Vases [hanaike), decorated with 
 medallions filled with ornamental designs, and with masses 
 of diaper patterns. Height, 13 inches. 
 
 145, 146. Flower Vases [hanaike), of pale green, and 
 rather soft enamel ; they are simply decorated with diaper 
 patterns upon a floral ground. Height, 12 inches. 
 
 147. Tray [bon), and four Cups [chawan), used for 
 drinking tea. The tray is decorated with the take and 
 matsu. These pieces are of inferior workmanship. Length 
 of tray, 8J inches. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 77 
 
 148. Cup, with cover, used for eating rice, &c. ( futat - 
 
 sukijawan.) They are enamelled upon both sides, and 
 
 are decorated with circular medallions filled with diaper 
 patterns. Diameter of cup, 44 inches. 
 
 149. Cup, with cover, used for drinking hot water 
 
 ( yunomijawan ). Enamelled upon white metal. The work- 
 
 manship in the cup is good, and much superior to that in 
 the cover. Diameter of cup, 4 inches. 
 
 150. Water-pot (: midzusashi ), decorated with floral 
 and conventional ornamentation. Height, 7 inches. 
 
 151. Dish ( sara ). A medallion in the centre contains 
 a ho-ho , rendered in deep- toned colours upon a dark green 
 ground ; the margin is decorated with masses of diaper-work, 
 on a green ground covered with leaves, flowers and con- 
 ventional ornaments. Diameter, 19 inches. 
 
 152. Dish (sara), of exceedingly minute workmanship 
 and good colouring. The vitrification of the enamel pastes 
 in this specimen is perfect. In the centre the ho-ho appears 
 descending upon the kiri. Diameter, gf inches. 
 
 153. Jar, for holding pencils or pens ( fudetate ), 
 mounted upon a stand of lacquer ware. Rude workman* 
 ship upon a brown ground, which is very unusual in Japan- 
 ese enamels. Height, 7 inches. 
 
 154. Jar (fudetate), mounted upon a stand of old 
 lacquer ware of good quality, and with a cover of the same. 
 Height, 8 inches. 
 
 155. Flower Vase (hanaike), ornamented with two 
 square and two fan-shaped medallions, and numerous diaper 
 and conventional designs ; the medallions are filled with 
 groups of the iris* and with butterflies. Height, 17 ! inches. 
 
 * The iris ( kakitsubata ) is a very general favourite with the 
 Japanese artist, doubtless on account of its stately yet graceful habit, 
 which forms a pleasing variety of lines with those of other and freer 
 growing plants. In works of lacquer, ivory, and in metal, it frequently 
 
78 
 
 cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 156, 157. Dishes (sard), decorated with numerous 
 medallions containing diaper patterns, and studded with 
 rosettes and floral devices, upon the customary groundwork. 
 Upon one of them are the shrubs wisteria and shakuyaku . 
 Diameter, 12J inches. 
 
 158, 159. Tea Jars ( chatsubo ), of hexagonal form; they 
 are completely covered with diaper patterns. Height, 4^ inches. 
 
 160, 161. Flower Vases (hanaike), with ring handles. 
 They have each two circular medallions, in one of which is 
 a tsuru and matsu, and in the other a botan. Upon the 
 sides are characters in pink enamel, the meaning of which 
 is not clear. The workmanship of these pieces is rude. 
 Height, 21^- inches. 
 
 162. Flower Vase (hanaike), of bulbous form, with 
 straight neck and saucer rim. It is completely covered with 
 minute diaper patterns. Height, 15! inches. 
 
 163, 164. Flower Vases (hanaike), of delicate but 
 
 rather imperfect workmanship. Upon the sides of each are 
 two medallions, with lilac grounds, one of them containing 
 a bunch of the botan, and the other a cock, resting upon 
 a mass of rock work, with sprays of the botan and other 
 flowers. Height, 18J inches. 
 
 165-168. Boxes for holding the colouring matter used 
 for stamping and sealing (nikuchi), ornamented with ho -ho, 
 and two of them have in addition the kiri crest. Dia- 
 
 meter, 3J inches. 
 
 169, 170. Nikuchi, of very delicate workmanship. 
 
 Entirely covered with minute ornamentation. Diameter, 3 
 inches. 
 
 appears, and is generally accentuated by having its flowers, and some- 
 times both flowers and leaves, applied in different materials The most 
 favourite material for the flowers is mother-of-pearl, the purple and 
 white varieties beautifully representing, when carefully carved, the purple 
 and white iris. In bronze the flowers are commonly gold and silver. — 
 Kevamic Art of Japan. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 79 
 
 171-173. Nikuchi, of similar workmanship to that of 
 the foregoing examples. One of them has the kiku crest 
 upon the bottom. Diameter, if inches. 
 
 THE KIKU CREST upon Ko. 171. 
 
 174, 175. Flower Vases (hanaike), of quaint form and 
 vigorous design and workmanship. The bodies are oviform, 
 with funnel-shaped necks, and supported upon compressed 
 globular stands, each, with three leaf-shaped feet. The bodies 
 are of deep green ground, with scrollwork, rosettes, and 
 diapers upon them, and each vase is decorated with two 
 oblong and two circular medallions, the former containing 
 representations of the koi no taki nobori, over which hang 
 the sakura , matsu, and take ; and in the latter are pheasants 
 resting upon matsu trees. Upon each of the stands are 
 fan -shaped medallions, containing the kiku and kakitsubata. 
 The necks are divided into radiating compartments, of 
 different colours, and, at their junction with the bodies, have 
 a band of small checker- work. The groundwork of these 
 specimens has the customary sobriety of colouring which 
 characterises Japanese enamels, but the subjects in the 
 medallions are rendered in enamels of unusual brilliancy. 
 Height, 24 I inches. 
 
 176. Dish ( sara ), of very imperfect workmanship. 
 Decorated with a three-clawed dragon, displayed upon a lilac 
 panel of irregular shape. Upon the back of the dish is a 
 kiku crest. Diameter, g£ inches. 
 
 177. Dish [sara), of oval shape; of similar workman- 
 ship to the foregoing example. Decorated with a three- 
 
 clawed dragon amidst clouds. Length, 12 inches. 
 
 178. Cake Box ( kwashiire ) of rough workmanship, 
 covered with diaper and floral patterns. Diameter, 4 J inches. 
 
8o 
 
 CLOISONNE^ ENAMELS. 
 
 179. Flower Vase ( hanaike ). The body has upon it 
 
 four medallions. In one of them is a representation of the 
 ho -ho, which is depicted with a flowing tail, filling the 
 circular space, in brilliant colours, upon a chocolate ground. 
 The medallion on the reverse side contains the kara shishi 
 and a spray of the botan. The other medallions are filled 
 with diapers and sprays of the botan and kiku, and butterflies, 
 upon pale green and lilac grounds, and in these medallions 
 appear six kiku crests. The foot of the vase is encircled by 
 two three-clawed dragons and a representation of Fusiyama. 
 Scrollwork and diapers in numerous colours appear upon 
 the neck and handles of the vase, and on the former the 
 kiku crest appears twice. Height, 37 inches. 
 
 180, 181. Dishes ( sara ), of bold design and execution. 
 The large centre medallions, of turquoise enamel, are filled 
 with sprays of the shakuyaku, rendered in dark green, blue, 
 crimson, pink and white. The margins are dark green, 
 and each contains two three-clawed dragons, executed in 
 varied colours. Diameter, 23 inches. 
 
 182. Table, the top, pedestal, and legs of which are 
 entirely enamelled. The workmanship and designs are of 
 the same character as in the preceding examples. Height, 
 30 inches ; diameter, 23! inches. 
 
 183, 184. A pair of Kiyojoku, the stands or table 
 upon which the Kiyomon, the sacred or canonical books of 
 the Buddhists, are placed in the temples. They are of 
 oblong form, each being supported upon four legs, and 
 have covers, the whole of the surfaces being enamelled. 
 The workmanship of these interesting pieces is bold and 
 effective, and the colouring is harmonious. Upon each of 
 the sides of the stands are two three-clawed dragons 
 fighting ; at either end is a fan-shaped medallion containing 
 a group of the botan. Upon the covers are oblong panels, 
 surrounded by borders of the botan, containing represen- 
 tations of falcons resting upon a matsu and wisteria, beside 
 
PLATE XVII 
 
 No. 185. 
 No. 183. 
 

 
 
 
 - . : 
 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 81 
 
 a waterfall ; upon the lower borders of the covers the kin 
 crest is pierced in brass. Height, 2\\ inches; length, 
 28 inches ; breadth, 17 inches. 
 
 THE KIRI CREST, upon Nos 183 and 184. 
 
 185. Dish (sard), ornamented with a circular medal- 
 lion containing a representation of a man in the act of 
 striking an animal, which he holds by the lower jaw ; the 
 man may, perhaps, be the youth Oniwakamaru, who, in 
 after life * was known as Benkei, the faithful servant of 
 the hero Yoshitsune. The margin of the dish is filled with 
 diaper ornamentation. The colouring and workmanship of 
 this example are not very good, but the specimen is one of 
 great interest owing to the presence of the human figure in 
 the decoration, for the Collector is not aware of any examples 
 of this except those found in the present and two succeed- 
 ing pieces. Diameter, 14J inches. 
 
 r. 
 
 186. Cake Bowl, with cover (kwashibachi), of fine 
 
 • 
 
 * It was customary before the Revolution to change the name 
 which was given to Japanese boys at the time of their birth, when 
 they attained their majority. 
 
 L 
 
82 
 
 cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 workmanship and much interest, being another example 
 of the use of the human figure in the decoration of works 
 of enamel. The bowl and the cover are ornamented with 
 minute diaper and floral patterns, and in the centre of the 
 latter is a circular medallion, in which is a figure of a 
 boy seated upon a cow, playing a flute, 
 which, it is said, is an emblem of agri- 
 culture. Upon the bottom of the bowl are 
 the following characters in painted enamel, 
 the meaning of which is not clear : — 
 
 Diameter, 6 inches. 
 
 187, 188. Tables, supported upon pedestals, each 
 with three branching legs, all of which, as well as the 
 tops, are enamelled. The workmanship of these specimens 
 is rough, and although the decorations are Japanese in 
 their character, they bear evidence of European influence 
 in their form and use, and also in the presence of three in- 
 scriptions upon one of the tables, consisting of a medley of 
 Dutch and Japanese words written in English characters; the 
 meaning of these inscriptions is not clear. The legs of 
 the tables are ornamented with botan flowers and three- 
 clawed dragons. Upon the top of one is the form known 
 as mitsu tomoye,* in the members of which the inscriptions 
 
 * The figure known as mitsu tomoye is one of the crests of the 
 family of Arima, the daimio of the province of Chikugo, but the 
 precise significance of it as generally used in Japan is not known, 
 Mr. McClatchie speaks of it as a triplicate repre- 
 sentation of the single tomoye, and says that many 
 different explanations are given of the significance 
 of the figure. “ One is that it represents ‘ snow 
 falling, whirling down ’ (a common expression in 
 Japanese description of a snow-storm); another, that 
 it is intended to depict waves dashing up and 
 breaking against a rock ; and a third that it is a 
 delineation of the tomo, or small leathern glove, con- 
 the mitsu tomoye. sisting of loops for the fingers attached by thin 
 strips of leather to a broader piece fixed on the 
 back of the hand, as worn in ancient times by Japanese archers. 
 The last of these three would seem to be the explanation most worthy 
 
 m 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD. 
 
 83 
 
 referred to appear, and in the central space is a represen- 
 tion of an eagle in flight, bearing a man in one of its 
 
 MARK. AND INSCRIPTIONS upon No. 187. 
 
 The characters to the left are Giokushodo, the name of the maker. 
 
 claws; the face of the man is European, and he is shown 
 with long red hair, the artist, doubtless accustomed to the 
 black hair of his countrymen, having been struck by this 
 
 of credence. It is frequently used as a symbol of good-luck, and is 
 
 to be seen constantly on the small tiles of the yashiki [a) in Tokio.” 
 The form is also very frequently seen upon the drums which are so 
 often found represented in Japanese art works. 
 
 (a) The house of a noble, or honorable person. — Hepburn . 
 
8 4 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 peculiarity of some Europeans. The top of the other table 
 is decorated with an eagle, a pheasant, and with the pine, 
 botan, the sasa, a kind of small bamboo grass, and the 
 kakitsubata. Height, 26 inches ; diameter, 22J inches. 
 
 189. A collection of Beads ( judzu ), the entire surfaces 
 of which are enamelled. They were used in the rosaries oi 
 the monks in Japan. 
 
 190, 191. Jars, with covers ( chatsubo ), ornamented with 
 scroll work and diapers upon a dark green ground. Each 
 piece has four medallions, two circular and two oblong; 
 
 the former are filled with botan plants, the stems and leaves 
 rendered in brown and green, and the blossoms in pink 
 and crimson upon lilac grounds ; in one of the latter is a 
 matsu and racemes of the wisteria ; in the other are the 
 
 THE KIKU AND KIRI CRESTS, upon Nos . 190 and 191. 
 
JAPANESE : MIDDLE PERIOD AND MODERN ENAMELS. 85 
 
 kiku and kiri crests. The colouring of these pieces is 
 unusually brilliant and effective, and the workmanship is 
 very bold, but it lacks, in a marked degree, the extreme 
 minuteness which characterises the finest examples of the 
 art. Height, io^ inches. 
 
 192 , 3 98 . Basins, upon short stands. The workman- 
 ship of these specimens is similar to that of the pieces last 
 described. The interiors are ornamented with sprays of the 
 botan upon green and turquoise grounds. The exteriors 
 are decorated in the same manner. Height, 6 inches ; 
 
 diameter, 84 inches. 
 
 194 . Flower Vase ( hanaike ). The body is bulbous, 
 with long neck and trumpet mouth. It is decorated with 
 a bold style of ornamentation, consisting of conventionalised 
 flowers of the botan , and arabesque designs. The upper 
 portions of the body and neck are covered with delicate diaper 
 patterns. This example, and the four preceding pieces, show 
 marked differences in design and execution to the older works 
 previously described; the treatment is broader, the execution 
 less precise, the spaces between the cloisons larger, and the 
 enamel pastes are softer than is the case with the earlier 
 works. The floral ornamentation of Nos. 192-194, is treated 
 in the conventional manner which is seen in the vases Nos. 
 81 and 82, in which Chinese feeling is apparent, but in 
 these examples we also find the minute and painstaking 
 diaper patterns, and the leaf ground -work which is univer- 
 sally present in the purest efforts of the Japanese enamellers. 
 Height, 14J inches. 
 
 MODERN ENAMELS. 
 
 195 . Dish ( sara ), ornamented in the centre with a 
 bird upon the branch of the matsu. In design, colouring, 
 and workmanship, this piece is an average specimen of 
 
86 
 
 cloisonne! enamels. 
 
 modern Japanese enamelling. It was executed shortly after 
 the old works came to light, probably in 1872. It is 
 interesting because it affords an opportunity for a close 
 comparison between modern and ancient work, and, for that 
 purpose, the Collector has placed it in a case with the 
 dish of the same size, No. 35, which may be accepted as 
 a perfect example of the art. Both dishes are figured in 
 the earlier portion of the Catalogue. Length, 15 inches. 
 
 196 , 197 . Flower Vases ( hanaike ), of good modern 
 
 work, but interesting only as a foil to the legitimate specimens 
 of the art. The flowers, birds and diaper patterns are all 
 rudely drawn, and the colouring and workmanship, whilst 
 a clear imitation of the originals, are deficient in all the 
 delicacy and refinement which give the charm to the latter. 
 Height, 20 inches. 
 
 198 . Dish (sard), of rude and imperfect workmanship. 
 Decorated with a pheasant and sprays of botan. The imper- 
 fection of the modern work is shown, not only in the 
 decoration of the interior of the dish, but also in the 
 carelessness with which the work on the exterior is done, 
 affording in this respect a marked contrast to the care with 
 which the older works were treated. Diameter, 12 inches. 
 
 199 , 200 . Jar, with cover ( chatsubo ), and Dish [sard), 
 ornamented with a roughly executed floral design upon a 
 blue ground ; these pieces are apparently an imitation of 
 the works catalogued under Nos. 81 and 82. Height of 
 jar, 10J inches ; Diameter of dish, gf inches. 
 
 201 . Plate ( kozara ), of the coarsest modern work- 
 manship, and rudest colouring ; this is a specimen of the 
 worst kind of modern ware made shortly after the ancient 
 works came to light. Like most of its class, it contains a 
 considerable quantity of wax in place of the legitimate 
 enamel pastes ; the vitrification of the enamels has been so 
 imperfectly accomplished as to leave large spaces of the 
 metal uncovered. This example was received in 1873. 
 
JAPANESE : MODERN, TRANSLUCENT, AND CHAMPLEVEf. 87 
 
 202 . Fudetate , made in Tokio, about 1880; an example 
 
 of the bastard work produced under the superintendence of 
 French artists. The texture of the enamel pastes employed 
 is good, and they are perfectly vitrified, but the cloisons 
 used are thicker, the metal ground upon which they are fixed 
 is heavier, and the brass borders are much stronger, 
 than is the case in the genuine works. But the chief 
 characteristic of this class is the large spaces of enamel 
 left uncovered with the cloisonne work, the employment 
 of brilliant light blue and black grounds, and the intro- 
 duction of brown, pale green, and other tints, which 
 are never found either in the old works, or indeed in 
 the modern imitations of them which emanate from the 
 Japanese artist. Height 4^ inches. 
 
 TRANSLUCENT ENAMEL. 
 
 203 . Flower Vase ( hanaike ), of the same period and 
 character as the preceding example, the neck and body are 
 covered with translucent enamel, and are powdered with 
 leaves and rosettes executed with cloisons in opaque green, 
 and white enamels ; there are also two bands of floral 
 ornamentation in opaque enamels, and a fringe border 
 round the neck, executed in the garish tints associated 
 with the works of this period. Height, 64 inches. 
 
 CHAMPLEVE ENAMEL. 
 
 204 . Small Dish ( kozara ). The ground is of thick 
 
 brass, and the inner side is ornamented with a crane 
 in flight amongst clouds. The workmanship is roughly 
 executed in deep blue, green, white, and pink enamels of 
 poor quality. This piece was probably made about 1870. 
 Diameter, 4^- inches. 
 
88 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMEL ON PORCELAIN. 
 
 205 . Cup ( chaw an ), of porcelain. The exterior is 
 
 covered with detached ornamentation upon a ground pow- 
 dered with sprays of kara kusa. The work is executed 
 
 with exactitude, and the cloisons employed are exceedingly 
 fine ; the enamel pastes are of good colour, but are 
 extremely soft, and have not taken the polish which is 
 seen in examples upon metal grounds. This piece is an 
 early and good specimen of its class, and was made 
 before 1872. Diameter, 3 inches. 
 
 206 . Jar with cover ( chatsubo ), of porcelain. It is 
 entirely covered with small patterns, shrubs and birds, 
 executed in soft enamel pastes of weak colours. Height, 
 io£ inches. 
 
 207 . Bowl ( hachi ), of porcelain. The interior is 
 decorated with a fringe and four medallions executed in red 
 and gold after the fashion, styled kinrande, employed by 
 Yeiraku, of Kioto, and introduced by a member of that 
 family into the province of Owari, where this bowl was made. 
 The exterior is covered with very imperfectly executed 
 cloisonne decoration. Diameter, 6 inches. This specimen, 
 although made since 1870, bears the following mark: — 
 
 Dai Ming, Manreki nen 
 sei. Made in the period of 
 Manreki , the dynasty of Dai 
 Ming. A forgery of the Chinese 
 mark of. the Wan-li period, 1573— 
 
 1616 A.D. 
 
PLATE XVIII 
 
 No. 209. No. 210. 
 
JAPANESE : PAINTED ; CHINESE : CLOISONN^. 
 
 8g 
 
 PAINTED ENAMEL. 
 
 208. Plate ( sara ), of painted enamel upon copper, 
 decorated with a spray of botan in gold lacquer, and with 
 the following inscription also painted in lacquer. This is 
 modern work, made probably since 1875 . Diameter, I 2 | 
 inches. 
 
 w m 
 
 Ren o makeba kau shitadaru, 
 Ishi o harayeba chikuyei 
 utsuru. 
 
 Meaning : — 
 
 As I raise the curtain the rain 
 drops from the flowers, 
 
 As I sweep the stone the 
 shadow of the bamboo is 
 reflected. 
 
 CHINESE CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 209. Plaque, enamelled upon a thin copper ground, 
 with a subject which appears to be allegorical, and may 
 represent the Chinese idea of the progress of human life 
 to the future state. On the upper part of the plaque, on 
 the right, is depicted the broad way, as shown by pleasant 
 gardens and open gates. On the left is shown the narrow 
 way, leading to doors which are closed and locked. In 
 the centre appears the bridge over the stream of life, 
 
 M 
 
go 
 
 CLOISONN^ ENAMELS. 
 
 with youthful, middle-aged, and aged figures ascending upon 
 one side and descending upon the other. In the foreground 
 are seen indications of the places to which the wicked and 
 the righteous are sent, and of the gulf which divides them. 
 The remainder of the surface of the plaque is covered with 
 flowers and animals. The workmanship of this interesting 
 example is exceedingly bold, and, together with the deep- 
 toned enamels which are used, points to the Ming dynasty 
 (1368-1643 a.d.) as the period of its 
 manufacture. Size 24 inches square. 
 
 Enamelled in its surface is the following 
 mark, which means Tsuki, which may, 
 perhaps, be the name of the maker; 
 the literal meaning of the character is, 
 however, “the moon,” and it may 
 have some other significance. 
 
 210 . Flower Vase, of antique form and vigorous 
 workmanship. The foundation is of copper, and is unusually 
 thin for Chinese work. The treatment, and the deep-toned 
 enamels used, are similar to those in the preceding example, 
 and point to the same date of manufacture. The ground 
 tint is of a light turquoise, and the ornamentation consists 
 of branches of the plum tree, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, 
 rendered in white, yellow, crimson, pink, and dark green. 
 The vitrification of the enamel pastes is not very perfect, 
 but this is always the case in such very early works as 
 this. Height, 19 inches. 
 
 211 , 212 . Circular Vessels, resembling egg-cups in 
 form, which may possibly have been used as spittoons. 
 They are decorated with scrollwork and conventionalised 
 flowers, in white, dark crimson, and green, upon a turquoise 
 ground. These pieces are of about the same period as the 
 preceding specimens, but the surfaces have been more deeply 
 ground. The first band of ornamentations in Plate II. is 
 drawn from one of these vessels. Height, 3^ inches. 
 
CHINESE : CLOISONNE, 
 
 gi 
 
 213. Perfume Burner, of cylindrical shape, with 
 pierced brass cover and three brass legs. The body is 
 covered with fret ornaments, upon a turquoise ground, and 
 upon it are three marks in metal, with the character Jiu,* 
 meaning longevity, repeated three times. Of the same 
 period as the pieces last described. Diameter, 3 d inches. 
 
 JIU, Longevity. 
 
 214. Sceptre, of about the same period. The same 
 deep-toned colours are used, and the character of the orna- 
 mentation also indicates an early date. The upper part 
 contains a carving in soap-stone, and the character, Jiu, 
 is repeated five times in three different forms, as is shown 
 below. Length, 16 inches. 
 
 JIU, Lojigevity. 
 
 215. Perfume Burner, of globular shape, mounted 
 upon a tall stem. It is decorated with borders of conven- 
 
 * The character, Jiu, upon this, and the succeeding specimens, 
 afford a few examples of the different forms in which it is drawn, 
 So numerous are these that a complete collection of them is known 
 as hiyaku jiu , or the hundred jiu, although there may not really be quite 
 so large a number. 
 
92 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 tional scrollwork, and with fret designs, executed in yellow 
 and deep. toned blue and red, upon turquoise grounds. Upon 
 the stand the character Jiu appears four times. Height, 
 ii \ inches. 
 
 JIU, Longevity . 
 
 216, 217. Plates, ornamented with floral designs and 
 the symbolical devices shown upon the opposite page.* 
 The character, Jiu also appears. The enamels employed 
 are deep -toned red and blue, white and yellow, upon 
 turquoise grounds. Diameter, y\ inches. 
 
 JIU, Longevity. 
 
 * These symbolical devices are in use amongst the Chinese 
 Buddhists and are sometimes found upon enamels, but more frequently 
 upon works in porcelain. They are generally shown surrounded by 
 streamers or by sprays of flowers. On enamels the symbols are 
 displayed singly, but two of them are often coupled when used in the 
 decoration of porcelain. Their full significance is not known, and I 
 cannot do better than give the following information on the subject 
 from Mr. Augustus W. Franks’ Catalogue of his collection.^*) 
 
 Figure I. A state umbrella, possibly intended for the Wan-min-san, “ The 
 umbrella of ten thousand people,” which is presented to a man- 
 darin on his leaving his district, as a token of the purity of his 
 administration. 
 
 Figure II. An univalve shell, the chank shell of the Buddhists. A 
 shell was lent by the government to the ambassadors to Loochoo 
 to ensure them a prosperous voyage. 
 
 (a) Catalogue of a collection of Oriental porcelain and pottery, by Augustus W. Franks, 
 F.R.S.,F.S.A. ; London, 1879, George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode. 
 
PLATE XIX. 
 
CHINESE : CLOISONNE. 
 
 93 
 
 218, 219. Plates, with turquoise grounds, decorated 
 
 with white and deep -toned red and blue. The centre 
 medallions contain landscapes, with goats feeding under pine 
 trees, and in the margins are very rudely drawn birds and 
 floral scrolls. Black enamel is freely introduced in the 
 borders upon the backs. Diameter, 8 inches. 
 
 220, 221. Plates, with dark blue grounds, covered 
 
 with a fret diaper, upon which are small circular detached 
 and overlapping medallions, filled with flowers. The borders 
 of the backs of the plates are treated in the same manner. 
 Diameter, inches. 
 
 222, 223. Plates, with turquoise grounds. In the 
 
 centre medallions are a group of flowers and a kirin, and 
 
 in the borders there appear the eight symbolical characters 
 referred to in the description of specimens No. 216 and 217. 
 The colours employed are white, yellow, black, lilac, green, 
 and dark blue, and red. Diameter, 7^ inches. 
 
 224. Bowl and Cover, decorated with floral ornamen- 
 tation in the deep -toned colours which are associated with 
 this early ware. Diameter, 54 inches. 
 
 225. Bowl, of hexagonal form, with cover, ornamented 
 with fret and floral designs, in similar colours to the fore- 
 going examples. Upon each of the faces of the body of the 
 vessel the character Jiu appears in red enamel. Diameter, 
 5 inches. 
 
 % 
 
 JIU, Longevity . 
 
 Figure III. The chakra, or, Wheel of the Law. 
 
 Figure IV. Two fishes, united by fillets. This symbol may allude to 
 domestic felicity. 
 
 Figure V. An angular knot, the intestines, an emblem of longevity. 
 Figure VI. A vase, with cover. 
 
 Figure VII. The lotus flower. 
 
 Figure VIII. A canopy. 
 
94 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 226 . Square Tray, covered with floral designs and 
 conventional scrollwork, of most perfect execution and 
 colouring. The cloisons are of unusual delicacy for Chinese 
 work, and the brilliancy of the enamel colours which are 
 used would identify the work with the period of Khien-long, 
 even without the confirmation which the mark engraved upon 
 the tray affords. There is, indeed, a striking resemblance 
 in the design and colouring of this specimen of cloisonne 
 enamelling upon copper and the beautiful works in enamelled 
 porcelain which were produced during the period named. 
 
 This example illustrates the highest development of the 
 art of enamelling in China. The enamel pastes are of 
 
 singular purity of texture and colour. The designs are 
 executed in yellow, crimson, blue, green, and drab, upon a 
 turquoise ground. The vitrification has been so perfectly 
 accomplished that the artist has preferred to leave the 
 
 surface almost entirely unground, a most unusual treatment, 
 and one possible only in works of the most perfect execu- 
 tion. 
 
 An inscription engraved upon the underside of the tray 
 fixes the date of its manufacture during the period of Khien- 
 long, 1736-1795 a.d., and it also states that the tray 
 
 formed the eighth part of some work in enamel. Size, 
 
 8f inches square. 
 
 Dai Thsing, Khien-long, nen sei. Yen- 
 Meiyen. Dai hachi bu. Made in the period of 
 Khien-long, during the dynasty of Dai Thsing , by 
 Yenmeiyen. The Eighth Part. 
 
 Basin, of the same period as the preceding 
 example, and decorated in the same manner, excepting that 
 there are upon it four medallions, containing floral compo- 
 sitions, upon grounds of the yellow which is associated 
 
 227 . 
 
PLATE XX. 
 
 No. 229. No. 226. No. 233. 
 
CHINESE : CLOISONNE?. 
 
 95 
 
 with the Imperial dynasty of China in the decoration of 
 works in porcelain. The vitrification of the enamels in 
 this specimen is not uniformly satisfactory, and the surface 
 has been somewhat injured during the process of grinding. 
 Diameter, inches. The following mark is engraved upon 
 the bowl : 
 
 Dai Thsing, Khien-long, nen sei. Made 
 in the period of Khein-long, during the dynasty of 
 Dai Thsing , 1735-1795 a.d. 
 
 228. Fragment of enamel of the period of Khien- 
 long. It has probably formed part of a trophy of which 
 the Tray, No. 226, may have been a portion ; the work of 
 the two pieces is identical, excepting that the surface of 
 this specimen has been ground down perfectly smooth. A 
 comparison of the two pieces will clearly show that the 
 process of grinding detracts much from the beauty of the 
 enamel and the brilliancy of the colouring. Diameter, 6 
 inches. 
 
 229 , 230 . Flower Vases, enamelled upon heavy cast 
 grounds ; they are supported upon three legs, and are 
 decorated with borders of conventional scroll-work in red, 
 white and green, upon dark blue grounds ; the bodies and 
 legs are covered with fret designs in blue, red and yellow, 
 upon turquoise grounds. These specimen are of a more 
 recent date than the three examples last described, and, 
 like Nos. 231-233, were probably made during the earlier 
 part of the present century. Height, 8J inches. 
 
 231 . Pilgrim’s Bottle, of about the same period as 
 the two preceding pieces. It is flat, and upon each side is 
 a circular medallion filled with trees, birds, butterflies, and 
 flowers, and in one of them is a kirin ; the other portions 
 of the bottle are decorated with scroll-work. The work- 
 manship throughout is rough, and the colouring is much less 
 refined than that found in the earlier ware. Height, 11 inches. 
 
CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 96 
 
 232. Flower Vase, of very graceful form, with 
 trumpet-shaped mouth. The workmanship is good and the 
 colouring refined. This example is ornamented with rudely 
 drawn dragons and conventional flowers rendered in green, 
 crimson, blue, white and drab enamels upon a turquoise 
 ground. On the upper surface of the mouth the character 
 Jiu is rendered in crimson enamel, and repeated four 
 times. Height, 15 J inches. 
 
 JIU, Lo7igevity. 
 
 233. Perfume Burner, mounted in ormolu, upon four 
 legs with elephants’ heads, and with a pierced cover upon 
 which is a kirin. The vessel is ornamented with fret designs, 
 in various colours, upon turquoise grounds. Height, 7 inches. 
 
 234. Circular Plaque, of bold design and execution. 
 In the centre is a medallion containing a dragon with five 
 claws, the Imperial Chinese form of drawing, amidst clouds, 
 and in the broad margin are a number of fish rendered in 
 deep blue, grey, turquoise, and yellow enamels, upon a 
 bright chocolate ground. Diameter, 33 inches. 
 
 235. Circular Plaque. In the centre is a circular 
 
 medallion filled with chrysanthemum flowers, and from this 
 radiate six other medallions, divided by ornamental borders, 
 each of which contains floral compositions vigorously treated 
 in brilliant colours upon turquoise grounds. Diameter, 28 ^ 
 inches. 
 
CHINESE : PAINTED ; AND EUROPEAN CLOISONN^. 
 
 97 
 
 236 . Perfume Box, decorated with arabesque designs 
 upon a turquoise ground. Length, 2f inches. This, and the 
 two preceding examples, are of recent date, probably between 
 1850 and 1865 a.d. 
 
 CHINESE PAINTED ENAMELS. 
 
 237 , 238 . Flower Vases, of copper, decorated with 
 flowers, bats and butterflies, painted in various tints of pink, 
 white, green and gold, upon a deep blue ground. Height, 
 13 inches. 
 
 239 . Dish, of copper, decorated with a border of 
 
 foliage and flowers, upon a yellow ground. The centre of 
 the dish is occupied with a representation of a Chinese 
 
 mythological subject. Diameter, 16 inches. These three 
 
 examples of Chinese painted enamel are of recent date, 
 
 but not later than 1870. 
 
 EUROPEAN CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 240 , 241 . Plate and Ladle, forming part of a Com- 
 munion Service, of Russian enamel. The arabesque 
 designs, with which these specimens are decorated, are 
 outlined, upon copper grounds, with slender twisted cloisons, 
 and the cells thus formed are partially filled with turquoise, 
 white and yellow enamel pastes, upon dark blue grounds, 
 some portions of the grounds having been left uncovered. 
 The surface of the enamels is unground. Date uncertain, 
 but ancient. Diameter of Plate, 55 inches; length of Ladle, 
 6J inches. 
 
 N 
 
g8 
 
 CLOISONNE ENAMELS. 
 
 242 . Circular Dish, enamelled upon a thick metal 
 
 ground. The subject depicted upon the face of the Dish 
 is the koi ascending a waterfall, and the accessories are 
 the bamboo, pine and kiri blossom, but the English artist 
 
 has engrafted the latter upon a group of iris. Upon the 
 back are patches of ornamentation slavishly copied from 
 Japanese works in enamel, and rendered in gaudy colours. 
 g| inches. Made by Elkington & Co., of Birmingham, 
 
 about 1872. Diameter, gf inches. 
 
 243 . Circular Dish, of similar workmanship to the 
 
 preceding example. It is decorated with a badly drawn 
 
 eagle, butterflies and the branch of a tree. Diameter, gj 
 inches. Made by Elkington & Co., about 1872. 
 
 244 . Covered Bowl, enamelled upon thick metal 
 
 grounds. The decoration consists of storks, bamboos and 
 flowers, carefully rendered in low-toned colours upon a light 
 lilac ground. The cloisons used in this example are very 
 delicate, and the design, manipulation, and colouring are 
 all unusually good for European workmanship. Diameter, 
 3^ inches. Made by Christofle & Cie., of Paris, about 
 
 1872. 
 
INDEX. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Adams, Francis Ottiwell, quoted 27. 
 
 Alabaster, C., opinions of, about Chinese enamels, 8. 
 
 Alcock, Sir Rutherford : — exhibits Japanese art works in 1862, 18. 
 
 introduces Chinese enamels into Europe, 4. 
 
 Archer, Professor, quoted 59. 
 
 Art, Japanese, the best period of, 9, 10. 
 
 Arrangement of a Japanese room, 65. 
 
 Asagao, 63. 
 
 Azami, 52. 
 
 Bamboo, the, its significance, 46. 
 grass, 84. 
 
 Barbedienne, M., imitates Japanese enamels, 36. 
 
 Beads used in rosaries, 84. 
 
 Benzaiten, the goddess of love and beauty, 21. 
 
 Bisjamon, the god of glory, 21. 
 
 Bon, 67. 
 
 Botan, the, 52. 
 
 Bouquets, 65. 
 
 Buddhist canonical books, 80. 
 tables for holding them, 80. 
 faith, its resemblance to the Romish faith, 30. 
 priesthood, persecution of, 31. 
 
 confiscation of revenues, 32. 
 symbolical devices, 92. 
 
 illustrated, Plate xix. 
 temples, 29. 
 
 assigned for the use of imperial personages, 30. 
 
 Butterfly, the, 62. 
 
 Byshing, the, 21. 
 
 Calabash, the, 59. 
 
 Carp, the, 43, 59. 
 
 Carter, R. Brudenell, quoted 11, 13. 
 
 Chakra, the, 93. 
 
 Chamberlain, Basil H., quoted 62, 68. 
 
102 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Champleve enamels, 3. 
 
 an example of Japanese, 35, 87. 
 
 Chatsubo, 50. 
 
 Chawan, 45. 
 
 Cherry tree, its blossoms used in decoration, 12. 
 significance of the blossoms, 62. 
 
 Chinese enamels, character of the different periods, 4, 5. 
 date marks upon, 5, 94, 95. 
 earliest works, 4. 
 examples, 89, 97. 
 from the Summer Palace, 4. 
 forged marks upon, 5. 
 heavy cast grounds generally used, 4. 
 illustrated, Plates xviii and xx. 
 influence upon Japanese works, 10. 
 introduction into Europe, 4. 
 marks upon, 90, 94, 95'. 
 modern works, 4, 5. 
 second period works, 4, 5. 
 
 Chinese grass, a form employed in decoration, 12. 
 
 Chiozo, a maker of Japanese early period enamel, 58. 
 
 Cho, 62. 
 
 Christofle and Cie, imitate Japanese enamels, 36. 
 example, 98. 
 
 Cloisonne enamel, description of, 3. 
 processes employed, Appendix (37). 
 
 Cock, the, 56. 
 
 Colouring of Japanese enamels, the beauty of the, 14. 
 
 Composition of the enamel pastes, 15. 
 
 Convolvolus, the, 63. 
 
 Corea, the art of enamelling not derived from, 8. 
 
 Coral, the precious; an emblem of rarity, 21. 
 
 Court nobles, 27. 
 
 Crane, the, its significance, 52. 
 
 Crests of the daimio, their use on works of art, 20. 
 character of and use in Japan, 22. 
 of the Mikado, frequently found upon enamels, 22. 
 their origin, 22. 
 
 their significance on enamels, 22, 26. 
 
 variations in the drawing and illustrations of, 22-25. 
 
 Chrysanthemum, the, 45. 
 
 Cuckoo, the, representative of early summer, 68. 
 
 Daikoku, the patron saint of riches, 21. 
 
 Dai Ming, enamels of the dynasty of, 4, 5, 7, 88, 90. 
 examples, 89, 90. 
 illustrated, Plates ii and xviii. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 IO3 
 
 Dai Mitsu Uroku, a mark, 63. 
 
 Dai Thsing, enamels of the dynasty of, 4, 94, 95. 
 examples, 94, 95. 
 illustrated, Plate xx. 
 
 Decoration of Japanese enamels, 11, 12, 13, 21. 
 
 Deities of the Shinto religion, 29. 
 
 Diaper patterns freely used on Japanese works, 13. 
 
 Dickins, F. V., quoted 62. 
 
 Dickson, Walter, quoted 28. 
 
 Dispersion of art works in Japan, 19. 
 
 Domestic divinities of Japan not depicted on enamels, 21. 
 
 Dragon, description of the, 44. 
 significance of, 45. 
 the five-clawed imperial of China, 5. 
 the three-clawed imperial of Japan, 13. 
 
 Dresden, Japanese palace at, collection of old Japan porcelain there, 17. 
 
 Eagle, the, 55. 
 
 Edinburgh, H.R.H., the Duke of, enamel dish in his collection, 54. 
 
 examples of the imperial crests upon lacquer ware in his possession, 24. 
 examples of enamel on porcelain, 33. 
 objects presented to him by the Mikado, 24. 
 
 Edinburgh, the Museum at, absence of examples of enamels, 17. 
 
 Elephant, the, seldom used on Japanese works, 41. 
 
 Elkington and Co. imitate Japanese enamels, 36. 
 examples, 98. 
 
 Embedded enamels, 3. 
 
 Emblems of good fortune found upon pottery, 17. 
 
 Enamelling, antiquity of the art of, 2. 
 methods employed in Europe, 3. 
 practised in Europe, 3, 35. 
 processes employed, Appendix (37). 
 
 English imitations of Japanese enamels, 36. 
 examples, 98. 
 
 European enamels, 3. 
 examples, 97. 
 
 imitations of Japanese, 35. 
 
 influence upon modern Japanese, 34, 82. 
 
 Falcon, the, 57. 
 
 Falize, M. A. aine, imitates Japanese enamels, 36. 
 
 Festival of Happiness, the flower of the, 45. 
 
 Feudal system, the, 19. 
 
 Foo {See Ho-ho). 
 
 Forged marks upon Chinese enamels, 5. 
 upon Japanese enamels, 88. 
 
 Forms of Japanese enamel vessels, 15, 35. 
 
io4 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 Franks, Aug. W., interesting Chinese enamel dish in his collection, 5. 
 quoted 92. 
 
 French imitations of Japanese works, 36. 
 example, 87. 
 
 influence of French feeling upon modern works, 34. 
 
 Fudetate, 50. 
 
 Fuji, 67. 
 
 Fuku, the character, 42, 43. 
 
 Fusiyama, description of, 72, 73. 
 
 Japanese sentiment regarding, 73. 
 
 Futatsukijawan, 77. 
 
 Futatsuki no hachi, 55. 
 
 Genji Monogatari, 62. 
 
 Genroku, the period of, famous for skilful artists, 10. 
 
 Giokushudo, a maker of enamels, 83. 
 
 Girogin, the patron saint of long life, 21. 
 
 Gohei, used in Shinto temples, 29. 
 
 Gold coins in the Musee Royal at the Hague, 26. 
 
 Gomon, 32. 
 
 Good Fortune, emblems of, 7, 21, 47. 
 
 Go-san no kiri, 22, 26. 
 
 Gourd, the, 59. 
 
 Griffis, Wm. Elliot, quoted 15, &c. 
 
 Hachi, 41. 
 
 Hague, collection in the Musee Royal at the, 17, 26. 
 
 Royal palace in the Garden at the, 17. 
 
 Hammer, the, an emblem of good fortune, 21. 
 
 Hanaike, 51. 
 
 Hara-kiri, 26. 
 
 Hat, the, an emblem of good fortune, 21. 
 
 Hepburn, J. C., quoted 12, 29. 
 
 Hichi-go no kiri, 22, 26. 
 
 Hikone, the prince of, his crest upon enamels, 20. 
 
 Hina, the festival of, 62. 
 
 Hiyaku Jiu, 91. 
 
 Hiyeizan, the temples of, 30. 
 
 their destruction, 31. 
 
 Hiyotan, 59. 
 
 Hizen porcelain at Dresden, 17. 
 
 its origin and the character of its decoration, 26. 
 
 Ho-ho, the, 13, 41. 
 
 its significance, 41, 42. 
 
 Horse, the, 43. 
 
 Hundred forms of the character Jiu, 91. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 T °5 
 
 Imitations of Japanese enamels, in Europe, 35, 36. 
 in Japan, on porcelain bases, 33. 
 on copper bases, 34. 
 
 Imperial crests (See Crests of the Mikado), 
 relatives, the four, 28. 
 
 their office and privileges, 29. 
 temples, probably the original home of enamels, 33. 
 their situation, 30. 
 their uses, 30. 
 
 Incrusted enamels, 3. 
 
 Indian character of some of the designs upon Japanese works, 6. 
 Inscriptions upon enamels (See Marks and inscriptions). 
 
 International exhibitions since 1851, 18. 
 
 Iris, the, 77. 
 
 Iwakura Tomomi, his opinion about the origin of Japanese enamels, 
 27. 
 
 Iyemitsu, progress of art during the time of, 9. 
 
 Iyeyasu founds the Tokugawa Shogunate, 2, 9. 
 
 Jacquemart, Albert, opinion about Chinese enamels, 5. 
 
 Japanese enamels : — 
 
 ancient example said to exist at Nara, 2. 
 ancient enamelling a lost art, 15. 
 arrival in Europe, 17, 19. 
 association with the imperial family, 28. 
 beauty of the colouring, 14. 
 cessation of importations, 19. 
 champleve, 3. 
 example of, 87. 
 
 Chinese influence in design and colouring, 10, 64. 
 clearly not intended for the use of the people, 21. 
 composition of the enamel pastes, 15, 16. 
 crest of a daimio only once used, 20. 
 decoration of, n, 13. 
 
 difference between the ancient and modern pastes, 16. 
 early ware : — 
 
 characteristics of, 6. 
 
 connection with ancient Chinese works, 7. 
 decoration of, 6, 7. 
 
 designs of Persian and Indian character, 6. 
 examples of, 41. 
 illustrated, Plates ii and iv. 
 extreme thinness of the copper grounds, 6, 11. 
 forms and uses of the vessels, 15. 
 examples of pure form, 60. 
 largest pieces known, 55. 
 highest development of the art, 9. 
 
 O 
 
io6 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Japanese enamels : — continued. 
 
 human figure rarely employed in the decoration, 31. 
 
 examples of its use, 81-83. 
 imperial crests, their significance, 26, 27. 
 
 used as a decoration, 13, 22, 26. 
 inscriptions upon, 6, 10, 20, 42, 43, 58, 63, 70, 83. 
 introduction of the art from China, 1, 8. 
 known as Shippo ware in Japan, 1. 
 middle-period ware : — 
 characteristics of, 8, 11. 
 comparision of various examples, 16. 
 extreme thinness of foundations, 11. 
 subdivisions of this class, 10. 
 the bound, 10, 11. 
 examples, 51. 
 
 illustrated, Plates vi to xvii. 
 the unbound, 10, 11. 
 examples, 47. 
 illustrated, Plates i and v. 
 modern:— on copper. 
 
 character of the work and decoration, 34. 
 comparision with ancient work, Plate vi. 
 examples, 85. 
 
 imitation of old works discontinued, 34. 
 when first made, 34. 
 
 workmanship and character of the present productions, 
 modern : — on porcelain, 
 examples of, 88. 
 forged marks upon, 34, 88. 
 when first made, 33. 
 origin uncertain, 1. 
 
 perhaps made for the Imperial temples, 30, 33, 
 original possessors, opinion of Iwakura Tomomi, 27. 
 painted enamels, 35. 
 example of, 89. 
 
 place of manufacture unknown, 1. 
 popular subjects not represented on them, 21. 
 scarcity of examples in the International exhibitions, 18. 
 in museums, 17. 
 
 time of manufacture unknown, 1. 
 translucent enamels, 35. 
 example of, 87. 
 
 various classes of Japanese enamels, 6. 
 
 Japanese Marks and Seals, quoted, 2. 
 
 Jarves, J. Jackson, quoted, 14. 
 
 Jimmu, founder of the Imperial family of Japan, 28. 
 
 Jiu, the character, 42, 50, 91, 92, 93, 96. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 107 
 
 Judzu, 84. 
 
 Koempher, Engelbertus, quoted, 17, 28, &c. 
 
 Kagi, 21. 
 
 Kakitsubata, 77. 
 
 Kami, 29. 
 
 Kandotskuri, 71. 
 
 Kara kusa, 12. 
 
 Kara Shishi ( See Kirin). 
 
 Kasa, 21. 
 
 Kazoku, 27. 
 
 Kea-king, enamels of the period of, 4, 5. 
 
 Kenriu, the period of, 64. 
 
 Keramic Art of Japan, quoted, 26, &c. 
 
 Keys of the godown, an emblem of good fortune, 21. 
 Khien-long, enamels of the period of, 4, 5, 10, 64. 
 examples of, 94, 95. 
 illustrated, Plate xx. 
 
 Kibisho, 69. 
 
 Kiji, 63. 
 
 Kiku crest, history and examples of, 22-25. 
 
 flower, the flower of the Festival of Happiness, 45. 
 King-tai, enamels of the period of, 5. 
 
 Kinmodsui, 58. 
 
 Kino, 21. 
 
 Kioto, imperial temples at, 30. 
 one of the capitals of Japan, 2. 
 other names for, 2. 
 
 removal of the court from Nara to, 2. 
 the Mikado leaves it to reside in Tokio, 2. 
 
 Kiri crest, history and examples of, 22, 25. 
 
 Chinese drawing of, 56. 
 trees, 22, 54. 
 
 Kirin, the different forms of the, 48. 
 examples of Japanese and Chinese drawing of the, 49. 
 significance of the, 48. 
 
 Kiyojoku, 80. 
 
 Kiyomon, 80. 
 
 Koi, the, 43, 59. 
 
 Koi no taki nobori, 59. 
 
 Kozara, 46. 
 
 Kuge, 27. 
 
 Kujaku, 42. 
 
 Kusudama, 52. 
 
 Kwashibachi, 76. 
 
 Kwashiire, 76. 
 
io8 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Lacquer, period of the choicest works, io. 
 
 Leyden, Siebold’s collection at, 17. 
 
 Liverpool Art Club, exhibition at the, 12. 
 
 Art Gallery, example of enamel in, 75. 
 Longevity, the character for, used as a mark, 42. 
 Lycopodium, 57. 
 
 McClatchie, Thomas R. H., quoted, 23. 
 
 Mandarin duck, the, 58. 
 
 Manreki, the period of, 88. 
 
 Marks and Inscriptions upon enamels: 
 
 not always to be relied upon, on Chinese works, 5. 
 rarely found upon Japanese works, 20. 
 sometimes forged upon Chinese works, 5. 
 upon Chinese works, 5, go, 94, 95. 
 upon Japanese works, 42, 43, 58, 63, 70, 82, 83, 88, 89. 
 Matsu, 46. 
 
 Meiji, the period of, 26. 
 
 Midzusashi, 64. 
 
 Mikado, the, his relations with the Shoguns, 9. 
 his treasures at Nara, 2. 
 
 probable association of enamels with the family of, 27. 
 
 safe-guards of the succession of, 28. 
 
 significance of his crests upon enamels, 22. 
 
 the habits and life of, 27, 28. 
 
 the kiku crest of, 13, 22. 
 
 the kiri crest of, 13, 22. 
 
 Minamoto and Taira wars, 21. 
 
 Mino, 21, 
 
 Mitford, A. B., quoted, 31. 
 
 Mitsu tomoye, 82. 
 
 Miya, 29. 
 
 Modern enamels: — 
 
 Chinese, 4, 5, 96, 97. 
 
 English, 35, 98. 
 
 French, 35, 98. 
 
 Japanese, 33, 35, 85, 89. 
 
 Monzeki, 32. 
 
 Morning glory, the, 63. 
 
 Morizume, 31. 
 
 Munich, collection at, 17. 
 
 Nara, ancient temple at, 2. 
 
 ancient works of art preserved at, 2. 
 imperial temples at, 30. 
 removal of the court to Kioto from, 2. 
 the ancient capital of Japan, 2. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 iog 
 
 Nightingale, significance of the, 57. 
 
 Nikko, the burial place of Iyeyasu, 30. 
 
 Nikuchi, 78. 
 
 Niudo Saki, no dai sojo daijin, ode by, 62. 
 
 Nobunaga, persecution of the Buddhist priesthood by, 31. 
 
 Nonomura Ninsei originates artistic pottery in Kioto, 9. 
 
 Omoto, 57. 
 
 Ondaikushi, 20. 
 
 Ondori, 56. 
 
 Oshidori, 58. 
 
 Oumai, 46. 
 
 Painted enamels, 3. 
 
 character of Japanese, 35. 
 examples of Chinese, 97. 
 example of Japanese, 89. 
 
 Painting, development of the art of, 10. 
 
 Paris exhibition of 1867 : — character of the works shown, 18. 
 collection, the property of the Shogun, 20. 
 examples of enamels shown, 18. 
 specimen of enamel from, 50. 
 
 Paris exhibition of 1878 : — modern works only shown, 34. 
 
 Paulownia imperialis, the, 22, 54. 
 
 Peacock, the, 42. 
 
 Peonia moutan, 62. 
 
 Peony, significance of, 52. 
 
 Persian character of some of the designs upon Japanese enamels, 6- 
 Pheasant, the, 63. 
 
 Pine tree, significance of the, 46. 
 
 Plum tree, significance of the, 46. 
 
 Poem by Kamei Skokin, 70. 
 
 Porcelain, cloisonne enamel upon, 33. 
 examples of, 88. 
 forged marks upon, 34, 88. 
 when first made, 33. 
 
 Postal stamps, imperial crests upon Japanese, 25. 
 
 Pottery — artistic first made in Kioto, 9. 
 crests used upon, 20. 
 
 decorated, when first made in Satsuma, 9. 
 
 Processes employed in the manufacture of cloisonne enamel, Appendix (37). 
 Prosperity, the character used as a mark, 42, 43. 
 
 Prunus Pseudo-cerasus, 62. 
 
 Rabbit, the, 46. 
 
 Rain-cloak, an emblem of success in life, 21. 
 
 Restoration, the, 32. 
 
no 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Riyo, 44- 
 
 Rolls of silk, an emblem of wealth, 21. 
 
 Rosaries, 84. 
 
 Rosokutate, 60. 
 
 Russian enamel, examples, 9 7. 
 
 Sacred jewel, the, 69. 
 
 Sake, 59. 
 
 Sakura, the, 12, 62. 
 
 Samurai, the, 21, 60. 
 
 Sangoju, 21. 
 
 Sara, 47. 
 
 Sasa, 84. 
 
 Seizaburo Goto, a maker of modern enamels, 35. 
 
 Sessin, 42. 
 
 Seuen-tih, enamels of the period of, 5. 
 
 Seven precious things, the, 1. 
 
 Shakuyaku, 74. 
 
 Shi sinwo, the, 21. 
 their privileges and occupation, 2g. 
 they retire into private life, 32. 
 
 Shinto faith, principles of the, 29. 
 
 temples, character of the, 29. 
 
 Shiou, probably the name of a maker of enamels, 47. 
 
 Ship of good fortune, 21. 
 
 Shippo, meaning of the word, 1. 
 
 Shippo Kuwai-sha, exhibits modern enamels at Paris, 34. 
 Sho-chiku-bai, 47. 
 
 Shogunate, the, principles upon which it was founded, 9. 
 
 relations with the Mikado, 9. 
 
 Shuro, 55. 
 
 Siebold, Dr. Ph. Fr. de, quoted, 22. 
 
 Siebold’s museum at Leyden, 17. 
 
 Sosei’s Ode to Spring, 62. 
 
 South Kensington Museum : — 
 
 examples of Japanese enamel in, 17, 64. 
 examples of French imitation, 36. 
 loan collection of enamels, 18. 
 
 Summer Palace, the sacking of the, 4. 
 
 Sunken enamel, 3. 
 
 Sword-guards, ornamentation of, 21. 
 
 Tabakobon, 64. 
 
 Tai, the, 7, 43. 
 
 Taka, 57. 
 
 Takara-bune, 21. 
 
 Take, 46. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 I I I 
 
 Tama, 69. 
 
 Tatsu, 44. 
 
 Theophilus, his account of the method of enamelling, 3. Appendix (37). 
 Thistle, the, 52. 
 
 Time, method of dividing in Japan, 2. 
 
 Tokio, other names for, 2. 
 
 one of the capitals of Japan, 2. 
 removal of the court to, 2. 
 
 Tokiwa, 21. 
 
 Tokugawa, the crest of, never found on enamels, 20. 
 
 Shogunate founded, 2. 
 
 Tokuri, 61. 
 
 Toro, 55. 
 
 Tortoise, the, 52. 
 
 Toyeizan, the temple of, 30. 
 
 its foundation and destruction, 31, 32. 
 probably the chief home of enamels, 33. 
 
 Translucent enamels, 3. 
 example of, 87. 
 made at Kioto, 35. 
 
 Tsubakura, 63. 
 
 Tsuchi, 21. 
 
 Tsuki, perhaps the name of a maker of enamels, 90. 
 
 Tsuru, 52. 
 
 Uguisu, 57. 
 
 Uma, 43. 
 
 Walled enamels, 3. 
 
 Wan-li, enamels of the period of, 5. 
 
 forged mark of the period of, 88. 
 
 Washi, 55. 
 
 Wheel of the law, the. 93. 
 
 Wisteria, 67. 
 
 stanza by Hitomaro on the, 68. 
 
 Yamagara, 63, 66. 
 
 Yashiki, 83. 
 
 Yashima, the battle of, 21. 
 
 Yebis, the patron saint of daily food, 21, 43. 
 
 Yenmeiyen, a maker of enamel, 94. 
 
 Yoshitsune, 21, 81. 
 
 Yunomijawan, 77. 
 
 Zo, 41. 
 
JAPANESE MARKS & SEALS, 
 
 UPON POTTERY, ILLUMINATED MSS., AND PRINTED BOOKS, 
 LACQUER, ENAMELS, METAL, WOOD, IVORY, &c. 
 
 BY 
 
 JAMES L. BOWES, 
 
 Joint Author of “ Keramic Art of Japan." 
 
 COMPRISING I3OO MARKS AND SEALS COPIED IN FACSIMILE; A GRAMMAR OF 
 THE MARKS ; HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE ARTS OF JAPAN \ 
 
 AND A MAP, ETC. 
 
 DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE MIKADO. 
 
 Imperial 8vo. Price £2 2s. od. 
 
 “An honourable labour of love.” — Atkenceum. 
 
 “A book of great and lasting authority.” — Academy. 
 
 “To the collector it is absolutely necessary.”— Saturday Review. 
 
 “ We cannot be too grateful for the aids with which the faithful and patient labour of the author 
 has furnished us.”— Spectator. 
 
 Uniform with “JAPANESE MARKS AND SEALS.” 
 
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN, 
 
 DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TO 
 
 H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, 
 
 BY 
 
 G. A. AUDSLEY and JAMES L. BOWES. 
 
 Containing 32 plates (16 of which are in gold and colours), and 320 pages of Text, 
 with numerous Wood Engravings printed in Colours, imperial 8vo. Price £2 2s. od. 
 
 This Edition contains all the Text of the Folio Edition, besides a large 
 amount of additional information about the Potters and Factories of Japan, and a 
 copious Index. 
 
 The price of the FOLIO EDITION of “ KERAMIC ART OF 
 JAPAN,” in two volumes, folio, full morocco extra, gilt edges, is £16 16s. 
 
 “ In composition, in printing, and in illustration it is worthy of the exquisite productions of which 
 it treats.” — The Times. 
 
 LONDON HENRY SOTHERAN & CO. 
 
Japanese Enamels. 
 
 PRESS NOTICES. 
 
 The Athenaeum. 
 
 One of the most interesting subjects connected with the Arts of the 
 extreme East, to a history of which this book, as much by its description 
 and illustrations as by the compact notes of the author, adds much. The 
 photographs are admirable. The running notes to the text shew the care 
 and tact of the writer. 
 
 The Saturday Review. 
 
 Mr. Bowes continues his studies in Japanese Art with the first of a series 
 of volumes. This one is devoted to Enamels, and the rest are to treat of 
 Lacquer, Paintings and Books, Pottery, Metal Work, etc. If they are 
 all compiled with such care as this one, and as sumptuous^ printed, 
 they will form a magnificent set ; but why does Mr. Bowes print them 
 ‘privately’? Even Mr. Ruskin allows the public to buy his books under 
 certain conditions. . . . Mr. Bowes gives two coloured plates and 
 
 photographs, and no one can be deceived by forgeries who has an oppor- 
 tunity of studying them. 
 
 The Academy. 
 
 As there seems no record of the origin, or use of these rare and beautiful 
 articles, and as the supply of them has entirely ceased, it is doubtful 
 whether we shall ever know much more about them than Mr. Bowes tells 
 us in the present book His essay, however, is not confined to this point, 
 but gives a very careful summary of existing information about different 
 kinds of enamel in China and Japan, in which he discriminates between 
 the styles of the two countries, and the peculiarities of different periods. 
 Altogether this book is a valuable as well as a beautiful one. 
 
 The Scotsman. 
 
 By his work on “Japanese Marks and Seals,” and his share in the 
 magnificent volumes on “ Keramic Art of Japan,” Mr. Bowes is well 
 known, not only as a writer on Japanese Art, but also as a collector 
 of great taste and knowledge. It is in connection with one depart- 
 ment of his collection, and in illustration of some of the more remarkable 
 objects in that department, that Mr. Bowes has now issued a monograph 
 on “Japanese Enamels.” The only possible fault that could be found 
 
with it is that it is printed for private circulation. The book needs only 
 to be seen to be admired, and anyone who reads it can readily understand 
 how much loving care, labour, money, and knowledge must have gone, 
 first, to the acquisition of the objects, and secondly, to their adequate 
 description. Study of Japanese history and literature is shown in almost 
 every page ; Mr. Bowes is learned, not only in respect of the artistic 
 qualities of the objects, but also in respect of their history and 
 significance. 
 
 The Building News. 
 
 To the connoisseur and collector of enamels Mr. Bowes’ work will be a 
 valuable help. 
 
 The Architect. 
 
 The book is a worthy companion to the splendid volumes which bear 
 Mr. Bowes’ name. 
 
 The Artist. 
 
 This work is a valuable contribution to the literature upon a subject of 
 which but little has been written. The book is printed for private cir- 
 culation, but, perhaps, the author may subsequently reproduce his useful 
 information in a form that will allow the public to benefit by his careful 
 study of the subject ; such a concession would be hailed with pleasure by a 
 very large proportion of the art world. 
 
 The Magazine of Art. 
 
 In a brief but sufficient preface the author sketches the rise of the 
 Japanese fashion in Europe. Follows a good and useful essay on the 
 Enamellers’ art in all its expressions. And this in its turn is succeeded by 
 a descriptive catalogue of the admirable Bowes Collection. 
 
 The Art Journal. 
 
 If it be considered a catalogue, it is one of the most delightfully discur- 
 sive of its kind, for it contains a variety of suggestive facts for that large 
 public among ourselves which has come quite suddenly to admire the 
 enamels of Japan. 
 
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