Vase; Japan, Taisho period, c. 1920.

Vase; Japan, Taisho period, c. 1920.
Bronze and cloisonné enamel.
Measurements: 21.5 x 11 cm.
The design features stylized geometric and naturalistic motifs, including winged figures and floral elements on a dark brown background. The colors green, red, white, yellow and blue are arranged in symmetrical compositions that reflect the influence of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, styles that marked Japanese decorative arts at this time.
During the Taish? period (1912-1926) in Japan, the arts played a crucial role in the country's cultural and social transformation. This brief but significant historical span was characterized by an openness toward democratic ideas, cosmopolitanism, and modernization, which generated a fertile environment for artistic experimentation. Artists began to challenge the established traditions of the Meiji period, adopting Western influences such as modernism, impressionism and expressionism, but reinterpreting them from a Japanese sensibility.