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Hello, Can someone please give me an approx. date on this red clay dragon vase? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! David.

Looks like a type of Japanese terra-cotta called "tokoname", which in this case may date from the early to mid-20th century. See link below for an example with what I would opine to be a better and more characteristic finish. You can query the term via Google Images for a more general appreciation of this kind of ceramics.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :Tokoname

Thanx allot Bill H! Ya, I am familiar with tokoname wares; I have a few other pieces, but, as you suggested, I too wasn't certain on this one due to the glazing! David.

I have a 9 inch tall vase like this too, with 2 dragons modelled in high relief and applied on opposite sides. The vase is made of buff earthenware and covered with red lacquer on the outside including the flat bottom and on the inside half way down the neck. It resembles a type of red stoneware produced by the Tokoname kilns with a pattern of low relief dragons among stippled clouds, reminiscent of Chen Rong's dragon scroll paintings. I'm not certain this vase was made at the Tokoname kilns but it's a possibility. I read somewhere that the technique of applying lacquer on biscuit fired earthenware was invented in 1918 so I figured my vase and yours could be dated to as early as 1920.

Thanx TD! David.

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