KUMENO TEITARO: A SUPERB PAIR OF EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE (65 CM) GINBARI CLOISONÉ ENAMEL ‘BLOOMING WISTERIA’ VASES

By Kumeno Teitaro (1861-1939), sealed Kume
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)

The elongated baluster body is supported on a splayed foot, with high‑angled shoulders rising to a short, waisted neck and everted rim, each fitted with copper mounts. The exterior is lavishly decorated with trailing branches of flowering wisteria (fuji) in bluish and purplish tones, set against a graduated green‑and‑blue speckled ground - a signature use of translucent enamels over reflective silver foil. The underside bears the seal KUME, enclosed within a cherry blossom cartouche.

HEIGHT (each) 65 cm
WEIGHT (total) 3.8 kg

Provenance: Private collection of Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, France, thence by descent. Christie’s, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé Collection, Paris, 25 February 2009, lot 673 (sold for EUR 63,400 or approx. EUR 91,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) was one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century, whose work fundamentally reshaped modern womenswear by radically redefining notions of refinement and style. He introduced elements of menswear tailoring, formal abstraction, and a new vocabulary of liberated sophistication that continues to define contemporary fashion. Pierre Bergé (1930-2017), his lifelong partner in both personal and professional life, was a key figure in the establishment and management of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, as well as an important patron and advocate for the arts. Together, they formed a cultural partnership that extended well beyond fashion into the realm of collecting, over decades assembling a distinguished private collection of paintings, furniture, and decorative arts selected with a highly personal and discerning eye rather than according to conventional academic canons. Following the death of Saint Laurent in 2008, a significant portion of this collection was offered at auction by Christie's in February 2009 at the Grand Palais in Paris, in a landmark sale that attracted international attention and achieved exceptional results, marking the public dispersal of one of the most refined private collections of its time.
Condition: Overall good condition with minor wear and manufacturing/inherent irregularities. Several, mostly non-distracting, losses and cracks. Occasional minute nicks and shallow surface scratches to the metal mounts. The metal mountings of one of the vases slightly loose. Considering the size and type, presenting exceptionally well. Please refer to the additional images for a detailed view of the condition.

Kumeno Teitaro (1861-1939) was a leading figure associated with the Translucent School of Japanese cloisonné enamel (ginbari‑jippo), specialising in the combined use of translucent and opaque enamels in a single composition. In 1882 he established his own studio in Nagoya and, in response to intense competition, developed a distinctive mastery of the ginbari technique. By layering clear enamel over finely worked silver foil, he created a luminous inner glow that gave his vessels a remarkable sense of depth and vitality — a dramatic contrast to the more restrained floral idioms of his contemporaries such as Hayashi Kodenji and Ando Jubei. Kumeno’s achievements were recognized internationally: he received the Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition of 1889, the Grand Prix at the St. Louis Exposition of 1904, and the highest award at the Liège Exposition of 1905, as well as numerous other honors including first prize at the Japanese National Exposition in Osaka, 1903.

Within his oeuvre, this pair of vases belongs to the largest known cloisonné models by Kumeno Teitaro. The exceptional size of 65 cm for each vase makes this pair a rare and important example of his work. Such a monumental scale was likely conceived for an exhibition or imperial commission, reflecting Kumeno’s ambition and technical mastery. The sheer scale of these vases, alongside their striking ginbari enamel work, elevates them among the most remarkable Meiji period cloisonné works in terms of both craftsmanship and visual impact.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related ginbari cloisonné enamel vase, by Kumeno Teitaro, Meiji period, the lot consisting of only one vase of much smaller size, 18 cm high, at Sotheby’s, Masters of Enamel: The Collection of John and Muriel Okladek, including further Japanese Works of Art from the Meiji Period, Genève, 3 November 2021, lot 70 (sold for GBP 6,930 or approx. EUR 10,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

#Expert video Part 2 JPN0626#