This is a Vase or Decorative piece I picked up a few days ago for $4 and would like to know more about it. The Vase is about 6 1/2 inches tall without the base, the two larger sides are 4 1/4 inches wide and the small side or back of the vase is about 3 1/2 inches wide. The base or stand is about 1 1/2 inches tali. The vase is crackled, glazed and stained in places and has a makers mark, chop mark or stamp on the bottom and some writing and a signature stamp or mark on one side which I am unable to identify.
The vase I think is Japanese. On the one side of the vase is an image of a man and on the other side of the vase is a woman. The back of the vase has no images. The image of the man is hand painted and the image of the woman is transferware. I'm not sure if the designs on the top and bottom are hand painted, stamped or transferware (I don't see any dots). I would like to know who the man represents as well as the woman. Also, the approximate age and value of the vase. I do realize it may not be that old or have much value but thought I would ask.
The vase also came with a wood base that is hand crafted and stained. The base has what seems to be 8 hand crafted parts to it, including the feet, which are glued and nailed together. There are what looks like wood clamp marks on the bottom of the stand which indicates the stand was glued and clamped together. There are also what looks like 4 tiny nails which are non-metallic and may have been put in at a later date when the glue came apart on the stand. Seems like a lot of work on the stand for a vase. I don't know if the stand came with the vase or was made at a later date. I would like to know if anyone has any insight about the stand.
I've included images of the vase and stand below.
Note: The image of the inside of the vase is a little dark. The vase is white, crackled and glazed on the inside and has stains in the crackling towards the top as if it was filled two third of the way with water (where there is no stain in the crackling) and used for cut flowers or the like at some point in time. There is also scratch marks on the top of the stand where the vase had been removed and replaced onto it over a period of time.
Thanks,
Kevin
