This is another collection where there are no marks and no workshop has yet been identified. The name for this Japanese cloisonne collection is ‘Spiral Necklaces and Linked Tears’. The reason for this is explained below, although the final example (object 68) seems to show that this design probably evolved to lose the spiral necklace. There are now five examples to look at.
Collection 7: Objects 12, 42, 43, 64, 68.
Key feature 1. Linked tear roundels.
The term ‘linked tears’ comes from the name that this website gives to the distinctive edges of roundels like the six below. For example, ‘object 68 roundel a’ has dark blue tear shapes around its perimeter.
Note that usually these objects also have roundels with alternate edges as well as this ‘linked tear’ type.
object 42 roundel a 
object 43 roundel a 
object 64 roundel a 
object 68 roundel a 
object 68 roundel b 
object 68 roundel c
Key feature 2. Spiral necklaces.
Necklaces are worn round the neck, which is where they are on the first three objects. On object 64 the necklace is at the base, and on object 68 it has disappeared altogether. Looking at the more detailed pictures below makes it clearer. Notice that the spirals are much neater and have more turns that those used for pure strength or minor decoration.
object 12 neck detail 
object 42 neck detail 
object 43 neck detail 
object 64 base detail
Key features 3 and 4. Oval square patchworks and bold chrysanthemums.
These last two features are more easily seen than described. Notice that the bold chrysanthemum is usually half hidden.
object 64 ‘oval square patchwork’ 
object 68 ‘oval square patchwork’ 
object 64 ‘bold chrysanthemum’ 
object 68 ‘bold chrysanthemum‘
The workshop that produced this lovely design has not yet been identified.
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Here are larger images of the objects discussed above.
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