Pair of Antique Japanese Shofu Nagoya Nippon Porcelain Miniature Vases with Hand-Painted Landscapes and Moriage Gilt Decoration, c.1910–1921

A refined pair of antique Japanese porcelain miniature vases by Shofu Ceramics Co. of Nagoya, produced during the Nippon export era in the early 20th century. Each vase is decorated with a softly painted lakeside landscape in muted shades of lavender, pale green, blue and ochre, framed by raised moriage details and hand-applied gilding.

The gently curved twin handles, pastel landscape panels and scrolling gilt ornament give the vases an elegant Art Nouveau-influenced character. Their compact size makes them particularly suitable for display as a matched pair, while the circular NAGOYA SHOFU NIPPON marks add collector interest and confirm their Japanese export origin.

Details

• Item: Pair of antique Japanese miniature vases
• Maker: Shofu Ceramics Co.
• Origin: Nagoya, Japan
• Date / Period: Early 20th century, Nippon era, circa 1910–1921
• Material: Porcelain
• Marks: Circular NAGOYA SHOFU NIPPON backstamps
• Style: Art Nouveau-influenced Japanese export porcelain
• Decoration: Hand-painted lakeside landscapes with floral panels, raised moriage detail and gilt accents
• Form: Matched twin-handled miniature vases
• Height: Approximately 10 cm each

Condition

Good antique condition with age-related wear consistent with the period. Both vases retain their attractive pastel landscape decoration and raised detailing. There is visible rubbing and localised loss to the gilding, particularly around the handles, rims and raised ornament, together with light surface marks and discolouration around the foot rims. No chips, cracks or repairs.

Historical and Collector Context

The circular NAGOYA SHOFU NIPPON mark is associated with Shofu Ceramics Co., an early Japanese porcelain producer founded in the early 1900s. Collector reference material records that the initials SNB used on related marks stand for Shofu Nagoya Branch.

The use of the word Nippon, meaning Japan, places these vases within an important period of Japanese export porcelain. Porcelain marked Nippon was produced for Western markets from 1891 until 1921, when United States import requirements changed and Japanese wares were subsequently marked Japan rather than Nippon. Export pieces from this period were often designed to appeal to Western buyers, combining Japanese craftsmanship with decorative styles popular in Europe and North America.

The matched form, miniature scale, softly painted landscape scenes and surviving moriage gilding give this pair an appealing decorative presence and make them a distinctive example of early 20th-century Nagoya export porcelain.

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