Featured Poor old thing no one wanted.

This poor old thing turned up at the auction for a second week having been passed in
with a previous guide of $100-$150 and this week with a guide of $50-$100. No one seemed to want it and my lonely absentee bid of $35 won the day. Figured there must be something wrong with it like a massive crack or chip somewhere but there's nothing apart from some fine crazing underneath and a little on the lip. It was listed as “Early 20th Century Twin Handled Japanese Export Vase” and seems to be or the Chinese fakers are at it again. At 56cm (22”) high and 3.9Kg (8.6lbs) she is a big old girl and with an “in your face” floral decoration she probably wont win décor item of the year which might explain the lack of interest. So what do you think. Export vase or fake??

Cheers
Stephen

 

Export vase. They only fake things that are sure to sell by the dozens, Qianlong and Ming vases, etc.
Congratulations, a good price.

 

I have a couple like this and I love them. I think you did well.

 

Remember these well. They are Japanese earthenware vases, hand painted, most about 10 inches high, with air brush background, heavy enamel hand painted floral motifs, and handles, with some gilding accents.
A USA company exported them and sold them in their retail home decor catalogs during early 20th century, how long they were made and sold, not sure. I would say all pre 1941.
You can tell the age by the fine crazing and the slight discoloration of the painted colors, as well as the wear to the gold finish. This size is special, you did well. I like it too.
I saw one of these advertised in one of my Japanese ceramic books, can't remember the name of the export company, something like Baker or Baxter, the date was 1910.

 

My mistake.
Thought this was about Mansons....

 

So did Mansons................

 

AAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........*

 

too cute......

 

I agree with toomanytocount. Certainly not fake. The ranges of the auction house were a bit optimistic. The only issues are that Japanese earthenware and those colors are out of fashion right now. It's a great time to buy. It hard to imagine that at some point these hand painted vases won't make a comeback. Congratulations!
Don

 

My grandmother, who loved Japanese export pottery/porcelain, would have loved it. That probably explains why it went cheap.... Its turn will come eventually; these go in cycles.

 

I agree with that too. The same fate for the good Chinese porcelain hand painted vases, made 50s-60s-70s, I still own some. They have the Communist government mark, with factory numbers on them, as every business was state owned and run back then. Maybe people will start having some nostalgia for the old Asian export goods.

 

I already do for the old Pier One stuff, from back before they went to straight home goods that you can get for better prices in HomeGoods. When I was a kid they sold cheap imports from all over the world, some of which were pretty darned cool. A lot of it was Japanese and Taiwanese back then, but I'll bet they had the Chinese vases too.

 

Indeed, in China these days those heavy sturdy wares of the Mao era do attract collectors. Like Cultural Revolution stuff, the prices are no longer cheap.

Many people feel the state-owned factories produced good quality ceramics because they weren't focused on profit, unlike today's producers.

 

YAAA! Those were the good old days.
I had no money when I had my 1st apartment, and Pier1 and their cheap imports straight from the Indonesia and India shops and small studios, were my furniture for a while, rattan shelves, baskets, trays, futon bedding, glass, dishes, mats etc.
Just browsing was fun, I even remember the smell, sort of dusty patchouli.

I'm so disapointed now with Pier1, with the lack of original and found nowhere else stuff. That is retail these days. Same, same, same.

 

I have seen that too, old stuff with Mao's picture, the posters with the loud propaganda.

My first Chinese porcelain vase was bought at an outdoor flea market about 25 years ago, it had been used as a paint brush holder. Still splattered, but I did not blink when they asked for $5.00.

Got it home, soaked it in soapy water, and the paint fell off, to reveal a beautiful white porcelain vase, hand painted, in a medium size of about 9 inches high. I was so naive then, I took it to work, for a Chinese doctor to translate the poem on the back of it, and she looked at me like I was silly. Never realised then, that Chinese script calligraphy is an art in doing and translating. Very complex.

 

The chrysanthemum vase came from my ex-husband's great aunt's house. It had been painted solid black. It took me a long time to carefully remove the black paint and some of it seeped into the cracks, but I loved it. The scenery one was at a church yard sale and cost $35.

 

Love it Bev. Interesting to note - they both have a gold "thingy" on one side of the neck.
Stephen
P.S. please put me in you will for those candlestick holders.