My search for info on my little vase
24/11/2014
For about thirty years this little vase, only 7.6cm high and 9.5 cm wide, has sat atop one of my stereo speakers and served to hold:
It occurred to me that in this day of the internet, I should see if I can find out anything about it. It has no marks, but looks kind of Japanese to me. |
I began with a Google image search for "vase small 3 inch black cream green", for which Google, ever eager to please, brought up vases of all colours and sizes, but nothing really like this one. I tried adding "antique" first but little changed.
Next I tried the "drag and drop an image to search for similar" function. Ha-ha, the AI image-recognition software seemed to think the pattern included fingers, as 12/16 results showed potters' hands. Adding text: "ceramic vase small vintage" to that search was no help, but got rid of the fingers, LOL.
Next I tried the "drag and drop an image to search for similar" function. Ha-ha, the AI image-recognition software seemed to think the pattern included fingers, as 12/16 results showed potters' hands. Adding text: "ceramic vase small vintage" to that search was no help, but got rid of the fingers, LOL.
The search terms
all produced nothing, but then, just in case it wasn't Japanese I tried "small vase japanese copy", and found two, stylistically similar, on the same page:
- japanese vase small 3 inch black cream green
- japanese vase small
- vase small wide base
- vase small wide base vintage -glass
- vase small squat vintage -glass
- 3 inch high vase -glass
- 3 inch vase black ground -glass
- small vase black ground -glass
- small vase black ground squat green blue -glass
- small vase black ground several colours -glass
all produced nothing, but then, just in case it wasn't Japanese I tried "small vase japanese copy", and found two, stylistically similar, on the same page:
The page section, "Japanese copies. In the Gouda style." is on the "Bits and bobs" page at a website called Gouda-Design devoted to Dutch pottery made in the Gouda region's style.
A visit to the site will reveal that the colourful Dutch style was being imitated by the Japanese as early as 1919, and that the Japanese copies are quite common in Australia and New Zealand. The one on the right is so similar to my vase that I would be surprised if they didn't come from the same factory. The colours and style of painting are identical to my eye. |
The picture of my vase above was taken under artificial light. To better show how similar mine is to the one above on the right, I have taken another photo of my vase in daylight which shows the colours better. See Left.
Also at Gouda-Design are a couple of pages showing someone's collection of the Japanese copies. I also found a page with an interview of the Gouda-Design website owner. Further searches have mostly found only more from Gouda-Design, or things copied from the site, with the exception of a few items for sale with little info. |
Thus it turns out my vase IS Japanese as I thought, but a copy of a Dutch style!
There doesn't seem to be much to go on for a date, but my guess would be pre-WW2.
It appears I have another object probably older than I am.
(See also my previous post of 20/07/2014: My guitar pick holder is older than me!)
There doesn't seem to be much to go on for a date, but my guess would be pre-WW2.
It appears I have another object probably older than I am.
(See also my previous post of 20/07/2014: My guitar pick holder is older than me!)