Vase, Otagiri, Black Porcelain, Golden Sea Shells & Pink Corals, Cylinder Shape, High Gloss Glaze, Japan, Vintage 1970s

High-gloss black porcelain, oval cylinder shape, golden sea shells and pink and gray corals rendered with elegant restraint — this Otagiri vase has the sophisticated minimalism that made Céramique Noire so popular in the 1970s and 1980s and still so collected today. Stamped "Otagiri Japan" on the bottom. The gold is in excellent condition, no chips, cracks, or scratches anywhere.

At ten and a half inches tall with a wide oval opening it's well-sized for a dramatic single stem or a loose summer arrangement — and striking enough to display empty on a bookshelf or side table.

Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC) was a San Francisco-based importer and distributor of Japanese ceramics and giftware from 1954 to 1994, supplying high-end department stores and gift shops across the US. From the mid-1970s to mid-1980s Otagiri had items specially produced just for them bearing the "Otagiri" brand mark. The company was acquired by Enesco in 1994.

A beautiful piece for a coastal or Asian-inspired interior, a summer vignette, or an OMC collector.

• Maker: Otagiri (OMC), Made in Japan (stamped)
• Era: 1970s (estimated)
• Material: Porcelain, high-gloss black glaze, gold and hand painted decoration
• Dimensions: 10.5" tall × 5.625" wide (top opening) × 3.75" oval base
• Condition: Excellent vintage. No chips, cracks, or scratches. Gold excellent. All sales final.