Vase in a globular form ornamented in relief with a wealth of blooming chrysanthemums. Of uchidashi or hammered and cold-chiseled silver, inlaid in gold, shakudo, and shibuichi. Signed on the back with a chiseled signature by the artist: Mitsuharu Koku or Carved by Mitsuharu, and with an inlaid gold seal-form signature: Mitsuharu (Katsura Mitsuharu, the go or art name of Katsura Yonejiro, 1871 – 1962), and on the base stamped: Jungin or Pure Silver. With the original finely carved pierce-work rosewood stand. Taisho era, circa 1912 – 1926.

With the tomobako or original box, inscribed on the exterior of the lid: Kiku no Zu Kabin or Chrysanthemum Motif Vase; and on the reverse of the lid inscribed: Ginji Usu-niku Iro Kin Zogan Bori, Furo-An ni Oite or Silver Base (With) Thin Deep Relief Carving (and) Colored Gold Inlay, Made at the (Studio) of Furo-An, and signed: Katsura Mitsuharu Koku or Carved by Katsura Mitsuharu, and sealed twice.

Born in Tokyo, Katsura Mitsuharu became a pupil of the Yanagawa School artist Toyokawa Mitsunaga in 1882. One of the foremost metal artists of the early 20th century, Mitsuharu became independent in 1898 and opened an atelier in the Asakusa district of Tokyo.

For a box he made with Kagawa Katsuhiro in the Nasser D. Khalili collection, c.f. Meiji No Takara, Treasures of Imperial Japan: Metalwork Part II, number 132.

Mitsuharu went to extraordinary lengths with this vase, lavishing on it great amounts of inlay. He used different colors of gold in the leaves and stamens, alternating inlaid shibuichi and shakudo leaves with carved silver ones. Some of the leaves are highly polished, while others contrast with fine texturing. Likewise some of the blossoms rise from the surface inlaid in high relief, with others carved into the surface. Both the hammered and the inlaid portions were then finely detailed with chisels. The silver ground surrounding the flowers he haloed with extremely fine stippling to contrast with the rest of the highly polished silver. Mitsuharu finished this vase with great technical finesse and the chrysanthemum design dancing across the surface delights the eye.