30. Neckband obsessions

Looking back at Object 27, a vase, one possibility was whether there was evidence of an association with the workshop of Takahara Komajiro 高原駒次郎 of Kyoto. Now we have another vase with similar possibilities, and some additional evidence.

There are immediate similarities between this vase and Object 27. You can look at the base imagebank or the neck imagebank on this website. Both vases have a similar pattern of wiring including the speckled light green enamel. Also there is one very similar butterfly themed roundel, which was also one of those seen on a marked Takahara vase.

Of course this proves nothing. For example, two workshops near each other may share the same designer or use the same independent wire workers. Indeed we know from Schneider Chapter 8 that Takahara Komajiro 高原駒次郎 operated not far from the larger workshop of Takatani Kenzaburou 高谷謙三郎 who produced some very similar work.

Is there any more evidence? On this vase (object 30) we have a ‘neckband’. That is, the decoration surrounding the lower neck, as in the image below.

The reason that the neckband is important is that it is an element that might stay quite constant when other aspects of the vase change. That is, it would be seen as being of secondary importance on the design so there would be a natural tendency to keep using one that was proven to work.

ref 30.4 neckband

There are images of vases from both workshops on the web. One signed Takahara vase has a neckband that is very close to the above. The Takatani vases however are not as near. Also, of course, there were also other nearby workshops not yet mentioned here. Proof is elusive, but the evidence is building.

Object 30. Vase height 14.9 cm weight 151 cm.

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