Namikawa Yasuyuki, or how my brain is proved unique. Again.

I loved this little piece — it’s only about 10 cm high — on my last visit here and was delighted to find it again this morning.  Alas, against the dark and the reflective glass, my tx-1 does no better than my last camera:

The vase is a typical shippo:  copper covered in cloisonne enamels, with silver mounts.  It is signed Namikawa of Kyoto.

The Namikawa Cloisonne Museum of Kyoto is housed in the former residence of Yasuyuki Namikawa, a famous Cloisonne artisan during the Meiji and Taisho periods. The museum has preserved the main architecture including the artist’s studio and kiln (both of which have been recognized as national cultural treasures), and a garden designed by Jihei Ogawa.

Alas, the museum posts no images on its website.

Luckily, V&A has several good photos of a some of the many Namikawas it holds: here.  None of my love, though: it isn’t even listed — on the display shelf it stands between the two unpictured vases listed at the bottom of that page.

Which is typical:  the museum pieces I like best are never reproduced. (And some are banished to stores).

I guess I have a mutated brain.