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Subject:Re: Ivory vase JAPAN
Posted By: Bill H Tue, Jan 26, 2016
I believe the title in the four-characters first stack (right side) may read down as "Guo Mei-shan Niao" (過梅山鳥), translatable as "Birds passing by Meishan". Meishan (Plum Mountain) probably refers to a township in Chiayi County, Western Taiwan. The remaining part of the inscription is too blurry for me to fathom.
I have this similar vase or urn, 5.5 inches high, that I probably bought either in Taiwan or Hong Kong in the mid-1970s or early 80s and which also appears to be ivory, though the grain isn't as distinct as on yours. Its somewhat naïve decoration and tiny inscription have to do with the legend of the Weaver Girl and Cowherd, which can be found with a Google search if anyone needs a refresher course. This one is signed by Kuang Shaosheng (鄺韶生 - NFI) and has a cyclical date of the autumn of Dinghai (丁亥), which I believe should be 1947 in the context of this piece, unless someone else sees evidence of an earlier date in the art or inscription.
Miniature objects like this, with tiny inscriptions and incised scenes, were and probably are still popular tourist items in China and Taiwan, though probably not in ivory since the ban. I would be surprised if yours is any older than about mid-20th century either.
Best regards,
Bill H.
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