Japanese vase from Empress Shokei to Julia Grant. 1878! Hollyhon emblem!

Description

Presidents are not allowed to receive gifts.  President Grant was not in office when he went to Japan.  The is a monument in Japan of Ulysses S. Grant in Japan.  He was the first president to visit Japan. This is a one of a kind vase from the edo period of feudal japan.  The tokagawa clan was the most powerful clan in japan during the edo period and ruled the shogunate with the emperor from 1608 until 1868.  The edo period ended in 1868 when yoshinobi tokagawa handed his power to Emperor Meiji; Empress shokei was Meiji's wife at this time.  I purchased the vase at the estate sale. Mr. Grant did meet the emperor of china's uncle and the emperor of Japan.  The grants went on a world tour for 2 years that began in 1877 and ended in on 9/20/1879.   Ulysses S. Grant was asked to prevent Japan and China from going to war. Mrs. Grant speaks of the vases from the emperor of japan and china in her memoirs. I included the pages from Julia grants book.
The
Qing dynasty and Japan were on the verge of war.
Grant was on a piece keeping mission to prevent the two countries from going to war. Mrs. Grant received gifts from the Qing and imperial japan dynasties.
President grant met with both
Emperor Meiji(japan) and
Prince kung (china). The guangxu emperor was only 8  (his name was zatian), so president Grant met with Prince Kung.  I have named this vase. The 1874 ryukyu vase. Ambassador James wasson could not secure peace between Japan and China; President Grant secured a peace agreement.
Japan wanted china to pay for the attack in Taiwan (on the Japanese sailors at the ryukyu islands) which was supposed to be under rule by China.
Some of the gifts Julia Grant received are in the New York museum, the Smithsonian institute, and havenhurst cottage.  This is a very ornate, colorful, and vivid vase.  The garments on the figures on the vase are etched so you can feel the embroidery on the official garments.  The veins on the petal flowers are raised as if the plants and flowers are alive. The actual walls of the vase are at least 1/2 inch thick. You will not find this vase anywhere in the world!!  Anywhere!  Ulysses Grant has gifts in Washington and New York. This vase was accompanied with a table from the Tokugawa family clan.  The table is not included!!!  Princess Kazu had recently gotten married to Ieomichi Tokagawa prior to the grants arrival in Japan in 1877. Tokagawa married into the royal family; a royal scandal!!  There is so much history and theater with this vase. Grant had ended the civil war by capturing the fake Government leader in 1865 (Davis).  A war started by Governor Brown of Alabama.  The Shogunate ended in 1878 where a new government was established by Meiji.  Julia Davis is pictured with the brother of the last Samurai
(Saigo Takamori), Saigo Judo.  Empress Shokei had risen to a position Japan no other women in Japan had risen to. The vase displays a shogunate official with the Japanese royal seal crafted on the vase. The vase represents Japanese art more than 300-600 years old.  This vase was owned by two key figures in world history.  The painting is the type from the edo period of Japan.  The colors reflect the only colors used in Japan in the edo period.  The art is called ukiyo-e painting.  There are only 6 colors used in the painting of the vase.  Only officials wore caps.  The colors on the shogunate officials are those of the kinjiki; forbidden to be used by the common people.  This is a shogunate vase; tokagawa.  The picture of the grants is taken in tokagawa's castle.  It is the imperial palace to this day.  Nikko is where the tokagawa family mausoleum is with 6 shoguns resting there.  Comparing this to famous priceless woodblock prints from that era you can see the implementation of the twelve level cap and rank systems.   The flower is the Tokagawa clan kaman; the Hollow Hock or Mallow.  I added the photo of the table that is in Julia Grants parlor in New York on 3 East 66th street taken in 1886.  The table is not for sale.  If you find a match I will drop the price so one of us can have the pair if it exists!
I put a lot of information in this description because many people do not know the history of Japan or its culture during the days of the shogunate.  A shogunate government that no longer exists.
This is not a satsuma vase.  How do I know?  Japan never exported any products to any country prior to the arrival of the grants.  Satsuma clan was not artisans.  They were abolished when they rebelled against the emperor in 1877.  The clan was literally destroyed by the emperor and the tokagawa clan.
Moriage designs dates back to the 17th century japan.  Moriage vases use gold for a 3D effect.  This vase was a gift to Julia grant.  The first Americans to visit the country in the 1800's.
The age of this vase is goes back prior to 1800.  It was made before the meiji era because it was made during the shogunate period before he became emperor.  The vase was made before Julia Grant arrived.