Tiny vase bought for £2.50 at a charity shop is set to sell for £10,000 – after it turned out to be a rare Japanese antique made by a Samurai
- The vase was made by Namikawa Yasuyki, a master of Japanese enamelling
- The work of art will go under the hammer at Canterbury Auction Galleries
A tiny vase bought for £2.50 at a charity shop is tipped to sell for £10,000 after it turned out to be a rare Japanese work.
A young couple were looking around the unnamed charity shop when they spotted the four-inch tall antique.
They lifted it up and saw the etched marks on the bottom which made them think it may be of some significance.
After parting with the meagre sum, they took the miniature vase home and did some online research.
The couple, from Epsom, Surrey, then contacted Canterbury Auction Galleries, Kent, to get an expert opinion.
This small vase which was bought for £2.50 in a charity shop will be sold next week in Canterbury for an estimated price of £10,000
The 19th century work is by the renowned Japanese artist Namikawa Yasuyuki, who was one of the masters of the ‘Golden Age’ of Japanese enamelling
Their specialist identified the vase as a late 19th century ‘cloisonne’ work by Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927), one of the masters of the ‘Golden Age’ of Japanese enamelling.
Cloisonne is an intricate technique that involves soldering delicate, shaped metal filaments or wire to a metal surface to create an enclosed outline.
Tiny amounts of coloured enamel paste are then applied to fill in the spaces and the entire piece is then fired, ground smooth, and polished.
The ‘astonishingly detailed’ vase features the cockerels and hens on a black background, with birds in flight overhead.
The female vendor, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: ‘My partner and I wandered into the charity shop to have a look around – I always head for the books and he heads off to look for art and vintage stuff.
‘He’s not an expert but he does have great taste and an instinct for the ‘real thing’.
Experts identified the work as a cloisonne, A larger vase by the same artist sold in 2019 for £29,000
Specialist Cliona Kilroy, co-director of Canterbury Auction Galleries, who are selling the vase, said: ‘The beautiful work by Yasuyuki’s Kyoto studio is held in several collections and is highly sought-after’
‘He came over and showed me the vase and I said something a bit dismissive like ‘very pretty’.
‘He then showed me the etched marks on the base.
‘When he found out it was by Namikawa Yasuyuki he was all a-quiver!’
The vendor said they would make a generous donation to the undisclosed charity shop from the proceeds of the vase’s sale, and also treat themselves to a holiday.
Specialist Cliona Kilroy, co-director of Canterbury Auction Galleries, who are selling the vase, said: ‘The beautiful work by Yasuyuki’s Kyoto studio is held in several collections and is highly sought-after.
‘He and Namikawa Sosuke were the most famous cloisonne artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries – the ‘Golden Age’ of enamelling in Japan.
‘The exceptionally fine work and naturalistic depiction of cockerels and hens on a black background, with birds in flight overhead, was something of a trademark of his.’
Yasuyuki, who in earlier life was a Samurai warrior, was granted the title of Imperial (Household) Artist by the Emperor Meiji in 1896.
A larger vase made by him was sold for £29,000 by the same auctioneers in 2019.
The sale takes place on July 19.
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