Namikawa Sōsuke

[2][3] He and Namikawa Yasuyuki (no relation)[notes 1] were the most famous cloisonné artists of the 1890 to 1910 period, known as the "golden age" of Japanese enamels.

[1] Japanese cloisonné traditionally involved opaque blocks of enamel enclosed in brass wire cloisons.

In the late 19th century, artists replaced brass with silver and developed enamels that were translucent or transparent.

[1] These techniques were created with help from Gottfried Wagener, brought from Germany as a technical consultant to Japanese industry, but Namikawa later took credit for their creation.

[6] Over his career, Namikawa made increasing use of blank space, adopting a more distinctively Japanese style.

[11][12] These artists were given a yearly stipend and were commissioned by the Imperial family to make presentation wares as gifts for foreign dignitaries.

[15] His Imperial commissions also included a pair of vases that were presented to the British admiral Sir Nowell Salmon.