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I would like to learn more about these Japanese vases. When were they made and where, and any other information would be welcome.

Hello. These are a pair of Japanese Kutani vases almost certainly Meiji period, around 1890 I would say. There are plenty of similar vases on the internet, google Kutani vases with birds. Very nice they are too.

You might say it's a generic pair of Kutani vases; i.e., generic marks of "Made in Kutani", painted in a generic Kutani palette, and typical first-class decoration for the competitive export market of the Meiji period (1868-1912). Somewhere out there is probably an equally well done bowl in your pheasant pattern, although I'm still waiting to find vases matching this phoenix bowl for less than the US$400 I paid for it at auction about 20 years ago (did I hear someone say "fat chance!"?. It has an even more generic mark of simply "Kutani" (九谷), as best I can tell from the heavily rubbed cursive characters.

Best regards,

Bill H.

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