Ginbari vase depicting carp, height 21.5 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.
Hayashi Kodenji (1831-1915), one of the most influential Japanese masters of cloisonné, was a student of the famous 19th century master Tsukamoto Kaisuke (1828-1887). In 1862, Kodenji founded an independent cloisonné enamel workshop in Nagoya. He founded an enameller’s guild in the Nagoya area in the mid-1880s and opened the first Japanese school to train enamellers in 1894. Kodenji’s works won gold and silver medals at a number of international exhibitions: Nuremberg in 1885 (silver), Paris 1889 (silver) and St. Louis 1904 (gold).
From the 1870s to 1915, Hayashi Kodenji worked in conjunction with his son Hayashi Kodenji II (1859–1922).
O daiko, decorated with cloisonné enamel, height 158 cm, considered to be the work of Hayashi Kodenji, circa 1873.
O-daiko, a barrel-shaped drum played in temples, theater orchestras and festivals. This extraordinarily ornate o-daiko, with its cloisonné enamel base and body, was commissioned by the Japanese government for the 1873 Vienna Exhibition, the first in which Japan officially participated as a nation. This drum has never been used as a musical instrument. It is created as a symbol of peace, as indicated by the figurine of a rooster. There is a legend that tells of a drum placed at the village gate to sound the alarm during an attack. During the years of peace, the drum was never used for its intended purpose. Over time, chickens and roosters settled in it, and this image became an emblem of contentment and peace.
Vase with a bird of prey on maple branches, cloisonne enamel, height 12 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.
This vase is created using the ginbari technique. This is a rare enameling technique in which the design is first created by engraving, and then the vase is covered with transparent enamels, through which the engraved image shines through. The seaweed engraved on this vase shines through the blue transparent enamel, creating a sense of depth in the water element.
Kogo (incense box) depicting a sparrow and dragonfly, cloisonne enamel, 6.7 x 6.7 cm, attributed to the workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase depicting birds and flowers, decorated with cloisonné enamel, height 9.5 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.The shoulders of the vase are decorated with an ornament skillfully composed of many dragonflies.Vase depicting arrowhead and dragonflies, cloisonne enamel, height 23 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Eagle sitting on the branches of a maple tree, cloisonne enamel, height 30 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase with butterflies, decorated with cloisonné enamel, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase depicting white chrysanthemums, cloisonne enamel, height 24.5 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Kogo (incense box) with dragonfly design, cloisonne enamel, diameter 7.8 cm, attributed to the workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Bird and flowers, cloisonne enamel, height 12.2 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase with chrysanthemums, maples and other trees and flowers, cloisonne enamel, height 15 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase depicting cranes, cloisonne enamel, height 25.5 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Bee and poppies, cloisonne enamel, height 12 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase depicting many flowers, decorated with cloisonne enamel, height 18.3 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, late 19th century.Vase depicting wisteria, cloisonne enamel, height 26.5 cm, late 19th century.Kogo (incense box) with flowers and dragonfly, cloisonne enamel, diameter 6.5 cm, late 19th century.Jar with lid depicting sparrows in flight, decorated with cloisonné enamel, height 12.4 cm, workshop of Hayashi Kodenji, circa 1905, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Jar with lid depicting birds in flight, decorated with cloisonné enamel, height 12.7 cm, circa 1905, from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Vase with butterflies, cloisonne enamel, height 25 cm, circa 1880 1890, from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.Scenes with birds on koro panels (fragment).Incense burner (koro) depicting birds on the seashore, gilded copper, cloisonné enamel, height 27 cm, late 19th century.
