Vase ID?

10 years ago

My husbands uncle left this really heavy vase to my husband. The uncle was a brother to my husbands mother and he helped raise my husband.

We know nothing more than that the piece was brought back from WWII. Any ideas?

I'll post a second photo below as soon as I can.

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Comments (14)

nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
2nd photo
sunnyca_gw
10 years ago
Any marks on it? What is it made of? I get feeling it's 1 of a kind. How tall is it?
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nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
It is 10 high. I cannot see any marks, but they could be hidden.

The material is some sort of metal although a magnet does not stick to any part of it. As I said before, this thing is heavy!

Here are more photos.

Wait, is this a signature? Look near the base, on the rounded part before the skirt. Looks like a J and then the rest is unreadable.

I turned the photo into a negative. Do you see it?
teddybear_2009
10 years ago
someone with a good magnifying glass may be able to decipher the signature. Very Interesting piece.
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
Is that a dragon wrapped around the vase?

Awesome piece.

The metal looks like bronze ... non-magnetic. Make a small scratch on the base. Bronze will be brownish colored. Brass will be 'brassy" and spelter (pot metal) will be silvery.
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
And I think we have a possible ID:

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/asian-art-furniture/metalwork/incredible-bronze-japanese-dragon-vase/id-f_458450/

It seems to have been a popular genre. Googling images for Japanese Bronze Dragon Vase brings up a lot of vases, many shapes and great dragons.

One with a shape like yours sold recently at Christie's for over $1,000 ... so it's a keeper! (or send it to me for safekeeping)
nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, LG. Where did you see a Christie's price?

Yes, that's a dragon. I quizzed my husband again. He said he was told it was brought back from the Pacific by his uncle during the war. BTW- We have a wonderful war album that his uncle put together. Loads of pictures, naked women, target maps from the air, etc.

There does seem to be a bit of etching where I think there is a signature. I can feel it with my finger. Should I try cleaning where I think there is a signature or leave it alone?

teddybear - I am looking with a pair of readers and a magnifying glass and I cannot make it out. :) Perhaps in light of what lazygardens posted, the signature could just say Japanese?

I tried the scratch test on the bottom and was only met with more blue. I used a bit of oven cleaner on the bottom and rubbed off a lot of grime to find a bronze/brown showing through. As you can see from my photos, there are layers and layers (years and years) of tarnish on this piece.

PS - I found a very old small and lightweight wire hair pin inside.
chibimimi
10 years ago
It's beautiful!

Do NOT clean it until you've had an expert in Asian art look at it! You could destroy most of its value.
nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
Where in the world (or should I say in TN) would I find one of those!
voila
10 years ago
You may try Kimball M Sterling Inc423-928-1471
125 Market St, Johnson City, TN. I never did go there while living in the area, but he seemed knowledgeable on many things from an article in the Johnson City Press. If not he may give you another source. HTH!
sunnyca_gw
10 years ago
Don't clean it but you can take a thin sheet of paper & a soft lead pencil & place paper over the etching & gently rub lead pencil on its side back & forth on the paper & you might get the imprint on the paper. & can read it off the paper!!
nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
voila - Do I know you?

Yes, I could take it to Sterling, though he usually fries bigger fish.

I happen to be going to Nelson Fine Arts for lunch today, so I am wrapping the vase in a towel and taking it with me to see if Dick can help me. :)

sunnyca - I tried the pencil trick, but came up with nothing. Now I am not sure it is a signature there. Maybe just some oxidation that is looking like something it isn't.
lazy_gardens
10 years ago
If you would take some pictures that are not a dark vase against a dark background (leather sofa?) it might help.

Set it against a plain pale surface and aim lights at it from either side, and shoot from between the lights.

DO NOT CLEAN IT! Wipe it with a damp cloth and mild soap and water, then rinse and dry it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photography lighting tips
nhb22
Original Author
10 years ago
Leather ottoman. :)

The photos on my table look pretty good and show detail.

Instead of taking the piece to lunch with me, I took my Ipad with the photos. the man I was going to ask about the vase was not in. Glad I didn't lug that thing all over town!

I think I have enough information to know that the vase is worth a little bit, but not so much that we need to insure the piece. It's back on the shelf in the living room to collect more dust for now. ;)

Thanks to everyone that had information and ideas.

This post was edited by newhomebuilder on Wed, Oct 23, 13 at 17:31