Square and heavy vase made of fine and dense stoneware, with heads of long-trunked animals (elephants?) adorning the shoulders on the short sides. The short sides and part of the wide sides decorated in Ko-Kutani colored enamels (green, blue, yellow, red and aubergine) and gold with flowers and leaves. On the long sides diamond-shaped areas are left open. These areas are filled with an auspicious animal: a tall phoenix or hoo-bird holding a flower in its beak, and a kirin emitting flames, painted in iron red and gold.
Signed on bottom: Kutani seal and Kinkoku sei (made by Kinkoku)
Japan, Meiji era
H 12 x W 6.5 in.
Minimal wear on gold. All in all excellent condition
