Japanese Sterling Silver Centerpiece Pedestal Bowl by Hattori Kintaro

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An exquisite presentation bowl in sterling silver by Hattori Kintaro (1860 - 1934), circa 1910-1920s, late Meiji era to early … Read more An exquisite presentation bowl in sterling silver by Hattori Kintaro (1860 - 1934), circa 1910-1920s, late Meiji era to early Taisho era. This rare and rather large piece was made as a bowl on pedestal in pure silver with malachite and coral stone inlays. The influences of both Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements from the West are clearly visible in this piece. The chased designs on the body were superb and complex. The designs form a circular geometrical chain with large and small hammered fields in double frames that feature alternatively, the floral arrangements, and auspicious insects likely cicadas. On the upper and lower portion of the body, incised designs of rhombus shapes further fence out two visual borders. The pedestal has a cross form on a circular base with each end featuring a hammered surface with three inlaid stones in the consistent shape of rhombus, two malachite on the top and bottom and one coral in the center. The piece displays a wonderful aesthetic that bridges the East and the West, with its style straddling between Art Nouveau to Art Deco, but fundamentally remains in the realm of Orientalism. It employs a harmonious play of various geometrical forms and pleasing proportions, from the constructions to the ornamentation and shows off a superb workmanship of the material. It was marked as pure silver and with Hatorri's Kanji seal.
Hattori Kintaro founded The Hattori Clock and Jewelry Store, founded in 1881 which later developed into the world famous Seiko. The company produced many luxury goods such as silverware for export and sold them in their large department store that later located and served as a landmark in Ginza, Tokyo. See less