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| Japanese man making a copper form for a cloisonné vase |
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| Japanese artist designing the pattern for a cloisonné vase |
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| Elderly Japanese woman grinding clay for the enamel on a cloisonné vase |
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| Elderly Japanese men applying glaze to a cloisonné vase |
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| Elderly man hand polishing a cloisonné vase |
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| A finished cloisonné vase offered by the salesman/manager |
They take the copper bowl (which product we saw being made at a separate place - a small forge, etc. hand forging a prepared billet of some kind) and lay out a design. I didn't see the silver wire being soldered on, however. Then they put on a layer of clay and bake it. An old woman was grinding the clay in a large mortar. It has a pale lavender color to it. She was sitting tailor fashion, as were the other workers. This prepared, colored clay powder is placed in a small container and they apply it with a stylus to the design, concentrating on what they are doing! Then it is baked and some more is applied. Then the polishing, which takes days. They polish it a bit on a power lathe and then start in by hand. We saw one of the lathe and one being worked by hand. One vase that was finished was about 10" across, bowl shaped. It had this over-all transparent, shiny red color, far prettier than ruby glass. On it was a dense pattern of tiny pink and white apple blossoms. It had a sterling silver band on the top and bottom edges. They all have that. Well, that vase was ¥1200 or $60. They don't give them away! On that basis the great big ones must be worth $3000! They had some smaller, tall vases started (like the one I finally ordered) and also a cigarette box that was a dream but not for sale. It seems that only the old men do the work [other than the preparation]. It is terrifically monotonous, no doubt. The younger mean-manager said for us to come back in a month or 6 weeks and they'd have some for me to look at.
So we asked for other places and our guide asked him where to go. We went thru another series of alleys, passing a Brig. General an party on a similar mission! At that place they had a similarly shaped vase in blue with a chrysanthemum design on one side and a sprig on the other, and with a marvelous blue background. It is amazing. I though all cloisonné looked like my Chinese opium pipe, but here is a large vase in solid color, with a design (elaborate enough in itself - all shades and colors) on only part of it. Well, that was ¥2200! So we went looking for smaller vases.
In another house they invited us in to a sort of display room and they had about a dozen vases just waiting the silver bands!! These were about 15" high and typical vase shape. They were in medium dark blue and in light blue. I chose the dark. On one side is an apple bough with pink and white blossoms and some pointed leaves like bamboo. I think it is elegant. It should be done for me next week. Price is ¥450 or $30. And furthermore, if I'm around here a month or 6 weeks and they have some of those red vases for $40, I'm going to get one of those!! They give you a wooden box for each vase. I'll pack it carefully and send it. Now if they don't save it for me, I'll scream!
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| Blue cloisonné vase Gene selected for Beth |
This building does have its troubles. This morning the water in the toilets was off and the stuff piled up. It seems there is a motor pump to force the water, but after a while they got it fixed. They the hot water went off, but they got that fixed. Yesterday an elevator motor burned out, leaving just one elevator. I'm glad I don't have the job of looking after the building!
