jac1246

Painted and decorated by Eugene-Louis Sieffert, each of flask form, the turquoise ground neck and feet decorated in gilt highlights with exotic birds and insects in landscapes, each front decorated with Japonese maidens in kimonos and signed E. Sieffert inv. pinx., each back with a colorful rooster within blooming branches, flanked by crouching dragon-cast handles, one plaque has been removed to reveal a pencil inscription S75 and further indistinct inscriptions.

While European interest in the culture and design of the Far East preceded the last quarter of the 19th century, this period witnessed a strong resurgence in the appeal of oriental exoticism in the decorative arts, brought by the opening of Japan to the West and that nation's participation in the 1867 Paris Exposition Universelle. As in the design of the present pair of vases the Japonisme French revival in France derived from both Japanese and Chinese design, though the use and interpretation of these elements was entirely Parisian and thoroughly modern at the time. Attribution to can be made to the design and casting of the bronze which is of the finest quality, the painter Eugene-Louis Sieffert was recorded active at Sevres from 1881-1887 and at Brown-Westhead, Moore between 1887-1894.

This stunning and palatial pair of vases epitomizes the new style such in vogue in the 1870's-1880's the 'Japonisme': East Asia was a major influence on Western decorative vocabulary during the extraordinary flourishing of creative imagination witnessed during the second half of the 19th century.

The resurgence of interest in China and Japan was directly related to the economic and political interests of the West, evidenced by the Opium Wars in China which were wholly concerned with trading rights and agreements. The second Opium War was concluded by the British and French occupation of Beijing in 1860. The British army reserved part of its share of spoils looted from the Imperial palace for Queen Victoria.

The French booty was sent to the Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. By February 1861, the French spoils were on display to the public at the Tuileries in Paris. It was no ordinary exhibition: it was one of the first times that Westerners had been exposed to the magnificent objects made for the Chinese Emperors. It was perhaps during this interlude that the Empress Eugénie evolved the idea of displaying the collection permanently in a 'Chinese Museum', eventually inaugurated in 1863 at Fontainebleau. Rooms were remodelled to complement the exhibits, with furnishings in the Chinese taste supplied by French makers. The involvement of the Empress and the court in the project encouraged others to take an interest, and the result was an enthusiasm for all things Chinese.

In 1854, issues of trade and naval convenience prompted the Americans to force Japan to open its borders, which had been closed to foreigners since 1615. During its period of isolation, Japan had witnessed the rise of an affluent, refined, luxury-loving society with high regard for the arts. From 1854, and particularly following the restoration of Emperor Meiji in 1868, quantities of high quality Japanese works of art found their way into the West. Widespread interest in all things Asian was further stimulated by Japanese displays at the International Exhibitions of 1862, 1867, and 1876. In 1869, an Exhibition was held by the Union des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where an entire museum of Oriental art was displayed. The Japanese too were quick to respond to the increasing fashion for furnishing à la Japonaise and were soon producing goods made in a Japanese style but adapted to have maximum appeal to Western tastes.

In the West, contact with quality Asian works of art had a direct impact on attitudes to the design and decoration. Designers and makers studied the forms and techniques, and began to produce goods using the stylized vocabulary and balanced asymmetry of the Far East. The Western hunger for this taste is evident in a range of products, exemplified by these pair of vases, where romantic motifs and naturalism were combined with a mélange of styles to create an atmosphere, instead of simply attempting to produce accurate direct reproductions.

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