Japan 1890 Meiji Period Rectangular Bronze Box With Colorful Enamel Cloisonne

Japanese box from the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Beautiful antique rectangular colorful box, created in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), circa 1890's. It was carefully crafted in solid bronze with copper wires and embellished with applications of polychromatic cloisonne enamels, depicting organics and natural motifs such flowers and birds,

Has a total weight of 360.7 Grams and a measurements of 142 mm by 104 mm by 43 mm (5.6 x 4.1 x 1.70 Inches).

Meiji period, is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keiō era and was succeeded by the Taishō era, upon the accession of Emperor Taishō.

Cloisonné is an enamelling technique in which the pattern is formed by wires soldered to the surface of the object to be decorated, which is usually made from copper, forming cells or cloisons, each of which holds a single colour of enamel paste which is then fired, and ground and polished. The champleve technique also uses an enamelling technique, but the cells are formed by carving into the surface ot the object, or in the casting. The cloisonne technique has been in use since the 12th century BC in the west, but the technique did not reach China until the 13th or 14th century. It became popular in China in the 18th century. Initially bronze or brass bodies were used, and in the 19th century copper, at which time the quality of th eitems produced began to decline. Chinese cloisonné is the best known enamel cloisonné, though the Japanese produced large quantities from the mid-19th century, of very high technical quality. In the west the cloisonne technique was revived in the mid 19th century following imports from China, and its use continued in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.

It is in great condition, with the normal traces of use.

INVENTORY REF: D0000MENK/.1112