Fine Japanese Openwork & Partial Twisted Wire Cloisonne Enamel Urn

Here is a wonderful covered urn with a variation of Japanese cloisonné known as the openwork and partial twisted wire technique. In this seldom seen technique, the metal foundation is applied with the wire cloisons, but not all of the cells are filled in with the colored enamels. In this very complex and high quality example, much of the metal foundation is left open, creating large areas of openwork.

The highlight of this covered urn is the shi-shi (Chinese lion dog) formed finial. Another excellent characteristic is the use of twisted wires on some areas of the decoration, which is very rare. Another nice feature that sets this covered urn apart from others is the complex form; the top and shi-shi finial provides a beautiful shape. The body includes a bird in flight amongst a profusion of flowers.

As you can image, the openwork technique that exposes the metal foundation in specific areas is extremely fragile and relatively very few examples appear to have survived over the years and this openwork and partial twisted wire technique ranks as one of the most unusual and misunderstood techniques. The height of this covered urn is approximately 6.0 inches including the top and finial. The width of widest portion of the body is approximately 3.75 inches. Overall, a clean and finely executed openwork covered urn in excellent antique condition that retains nearly all, more than 99%, of the open cloisons. There are no major chips, cracks or restoration to this wonderful example. As Japanese cloisonné enamel is very fragile, we will double box and pack this item with tremendous care.

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