Pair of Meiji Period Japanese Shrine Offering Vessels

Small enough to disappear into a shrine. Interesting enough not to.
 
A pair of Meiji period Japanese shrine offering vessels, originally made to hold flowers, sacred sake or water on a household kamidana or Shinto altar. Their tall, waisted forms are unmistakably ceremonial, while the hand-painted decoration strikes a surprisingly playful balance between reverence and everyday craftsmanship.
 
Each is decorated with stylised bamboo and crowned by a band of bold vermilion flowers, while the reverse bears the inscription 御神前 (Goshinzen — "before the deity"), confirming their original role as devotional objects.
 
More than a century on, they've traded ritual for display with remarkable ease. A single dried stem is all they ask for, though they're equally compelling left empty, where their proportions and quiet asymmetry do all the work.
 
The odd firing blemish and small chip to one rim speak to lives well lived rather than perfection preserved—exactly the sort of honest wear that makes objects like these feel human.
 
Condition: Good - repair and chip to one vessel
Size: W 4.5cm x H 10.25