"Fence Japan" belongs to a family of English ironstone patterns loosely inspired by Japanese Imari ware, though the pattern names rarely make much literal sense, "Fence Japan" refers to a fenced-garden motif rather than anything actually depicting Japan itself, a naming convention that was more about signalling an exotic, fashionable aesthetic than describing the scene with any precision. This lidded vase carries the pattern in its full form: mazarine blue and burnt orange enamels worked with hand-painted gilding across a baluster body, mask head handles on each side, and a pierced lid topped with a small knob, the piercing allowing scent to escape if the piece was used as intended, for pot pourri or burning incense.
Mason's built ironstone's reputation on exactly this kind of decorative confidence, dense pattern work on a durable body, and a piece surviving with its pierced lid intact is worth noting on its own, since lids like this one tend to be the first casualty of decades of handling. Dated to the 1840's, the vase carries both a specific function and a specific decorative pattern, giving it more to offer a collector than a purely ornamental piece from the same period might.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Some wear to gilt and paint; restoration to lid.
