r/CoolCollections

(Fair warning: This is a deep dive! I love documenting the details of each item, the thrill of the hunt, and my reasons for collecting them. I am mapping everything out now because this writing will serve as the script for my future videos. Rest assured, I’m a real person sharing a real passion—not an AI bot.)

Hello everyone!

Following up on my recent threads, today I want to share my 35th collection post, focusing on a group of intimate, functional items: covered boxes and lidded jars.

The Evolution of My Collection

For those who have been following my posts, you know my obsession with teapots and Totai Shippo (cloisonné on porcelain) branched off 28 years ago due to a fortunate car breakdown. However, my foundational love for Japanese cloisonné actually began 34 years ago.

It all started when my wife and I stumbled into an antique store and were completely spellbound by a Japanese cloisonné vase. The absolute beauty, precision, and artistry of that single piece sparked a lifelong passion. Over the last three decades, that initial spark has led us to curate a collection of more than 40 pieces, spanning various sizes, shapes, materials, colors, and functions.

Bringing Luxury to the Desk and Vanity

This brings us to today's beautiful subset of vanity and desk vessels. These objects brought the luxury of cloisonné (Shippo) directly onto the vanity tables, writing desks, and dressing areas of the Meiji and Victorian eras.

If you read my 33rd collection thread on Totai cloisonné, you will recognize two of the pieces in this family portrait: the small, dark-green round box and the light-blue patterned box. Because they are functional boxes as well as Totai ware, I wanted to include them here to show how they fit into the broader narrative of lidded vessels.

In this group, you can see how Meiji artisans pushed boundaries with different geometries, materials, and background textures:

1. The Gothic Arched Casket (Top Left)

This rectangular box is an absolute standout. It utilizes sharp geometric framing, featuring arched ogival panels (resembling Gothic church windows) that segment individual floral sprays and butterflies against a dark background. This dense panel work gives the piece the heavy, luxurious look of a medieval jeweled chest tailored for the Western market.

2. The Large Turquoise Covered Box with Peach Finial (Top Right - Totsi Shippo)

This round, bulbous covered box with peach finial (Kogo) serves as a magnificent centerpiece. The entire body is blanketed in a vibrant turquoise ground filled with a dense, repeating cloud-scroll pattern. The crown jewel is the lid, featuring an elegantly sculpted finial shaped like a peach knob—a universal symbol of peace and longevity.

3. The Flat Green Compact (Bottom Left - Totai Shippo)

This small, dark green circular box features delicate floral sprays on the lid and a dotted border. It is a wonderful example of early-to-mid Meiji experimentation with cloisonné on a porcelain body.

4. The Material Fusion Round Box (Bottom Center)

Sitting right in the center is a low, round tripod box that beautifully mirrors the technique of my finest teapots. The shoulder features a heavy concentration of shimmering Aventurine glass (Goldstone), creating a starry, glittering contrast against the intricate blue and brown floral scroll panels below.

5. The Sky Blue Round Box (Bottom Right - Totai Shippo Pair)

Decorated with floating butterflies and traditional geometric borders, its tight patterns prove that craftsmen didn’t cut corners just because a vessel was compact.

My Collecting Rule of Thumb: The Power of Variety

When you look at this new group of lidded boxes alongside my previous teapot and Totai collections, my core philosophy becomes clear: Never collect the same item twice. Instead, chase maximum variety.

By following this rule, this collection deliberately covers every possible variable:

The Shapes: Shifting from sharp, architectural rectangles to perfectly smooth, low rounds.

The Scales: Spanning from heavy, large statement pieces down to delicate, palm-sized miniatures.

The Handles & Lids: Moving from flat, flush lids to high domes, complex spouts, and overhead handles.

The Materials & Colors: Contrasting delicate Totai porcelain bases with heavy metal foundations, using backgrounds that range from midnight black to vibrant turquoise.

Why do this?

Because a varied collection turns a simple hobby into a living historical archive. It highlights the incredible versatility of Japanese master enamelers. Firing glass onto a flat surface is difficult, but wrapping wires and flowing enamel across a curved teapot spout, a square corner, or a miniature box lid requires absolute genius. Grouping these contrasting pieces together tells the complete, engaging story of artistic evolution!

Market Insights & Lessons Learned Along the Way

For fellow hobbyists looking to get into Japanese cloisonné, small vanity boxes and covered jars remain an incredible, highly accessible entry point. While masterwork presentation vases can easily fetch thousands of dollars, beautiful, unsigned pieces like these can regularly be found at antique shops, estate sales, or online auctions for between $30 to $250, depending on condition and enamel complexity.

Even after 34 years, my Japanese cloisonné collection is still missing two major types: wireless cloisonné (Musen Shippo) and Plique-à-jour (Shotai Shippo).

I do own a pair of Chinese plique-à-jour ducks, but I had never encountered a Japanese example until recently. After sharing my duck collection, another collector reached out to tell me they collect Japanese plique-à-jour vases and bowls, so I hope to acquire one in the near future!

The search for a wireless piece also led to a funny (and slightly disappointing) collecting story. I saw a vase on eBay listed simply as "cloisonné" that looked exactly like wireless work. Since I had never owned a piece before, it was hard to confirm from the pictures alone. I even asked an AI tool, which assured me it was wireless cloisonné! Excited by the great price, I bought it immediately. When it arrived, I discovered it wasn't cloisonné at all—it was a porcelain vase painted to look like it. It was a classic collecting misstep, but those little surprises and learning moments are all part of the fun of the journey.

If you love my collection and like to see the fake wireless vase I mistakenly bought, please keep an eye out for my upcoming 36th Collection post! In that thread, I will be showcasing my 10 genuine Japanese cloisonné vases right alongside this fake wireless one to break down the differences up close.

I would love to hear your thoughts! When you make a series of collections, do you have a rule of thumb?

Has been collecting Hesston buckles since 1974. He always kept them in a box in his closet and only took them out at Christmas to add his new one and he would sit there for hours looking at them before putting them away again for another year.

When I was still living at home, I found this coffee table on the side of the road for the garbage trucks to haul away. I took it and turned it into a shadow box for him to look at his buckles any time he wants. He loves it, and gets a lot of comments about it when people come work on the house.

Tried dressing it up a bit

antiques & things that I find interesting including several music boxes.

All plane models are either Boeing, Lockheed or McDonald Douglas.

I love being a nerd

Watches in order owned:
My first watch was the Burberry sport that my parents bought me right before I moved to the Caribbean for pre-med.
Guess watch I bought on a cruise as a teenager. Funny enough, I always got the most amount of compliments on it. I rarely wear it anymore.
Movado present from 3 of my best friends who bought it for me for my 18th birthday.
Tag Heuer my parents bought me for my 18th birthday.
Gucci Grammy Edition was a birthday present from my parents while I was studying for my first medical board exam. Surprised me while I was studying in the library.
Hamilton two time zone was handed down to me by my Dad when I got into residency. It was the first nice gift my Mom got my Dad when he finished fellowship.
Swatch Jellyfish gift from an ex girlfriend. It’s such a loud watch and drives me insane whenever I take it off and leave it on my nightstand.
Cartier Santos Dumont present from parents for graduating residency.
Tissot PRX present from parents for 30th birthday.
Hamilton Khaki Field present from best friend for 30th birthday. Currently on a google fitbit air.

Thought I would share my love for watches on the thread I spend the most time on.

Next watch will be when I graduate fellowship. Picking between grand seiko snowflake, cartier santos de cartier, omega first omega on the moon, omega seamaster diver (classic black dial with white waves), or omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. Thoughts?

Ive had these put away since I was a kid, I take them out every so many years to look at them, then pack em back up. The condition is LP to Mint. Ive already graded and sold my best cards back in 2017 and I kick myself every day. I had many 1st edition 10s including a shining mewtwo and also a sd dark magician and blue eyes. All 1st eds. All 10s. Sold before the boom. After that I haven't looked into selling anything. I know I have some value here but what do you guys estimate?

A quick note before you read: I know my posts are exceptionally long, highly structured, and deeply systematic—to the point where people on Reddit sometimes mistake me for an AI bot! I promise I am very much a human collector. Antique collecting is purely my personal passion, not my profession. However, my unique approach comes from my 40-year career as a scientific researcher. I naturally treat my hobby like a research project—online researches, interviewing art experts, taking meticulous notes, and even speaking directly with artists and experts to truly understand the authenticity, techniques, culture, and history behind each piece. Thank you for your patience with my academic writing style!

Hello everyone,

Today, I want to share my 34th featured collection here on Reddit. If you caught my last post about my 33rd collection, you already know how my wife and I fell completely in love with the sheer beauty and master craftsmanship of Japanese cloisonné.My journey into Japanese cloisonné actually began 34 years ago with a single vase.

However, my specific obsession with teapots and Totai Shippo (cloisonné on ceramic/porcelain) began 28 years ago due to a total stroke of luck. My car overheated and broke down during my morning commute. While waiting for repairs, I wandered into a nearby antique store to pass the time and ended up buying my very first Totai teapot.

That single breakdown sparked a lifelong passion for both of us. Over the last 34 years, we have gathered more than 40 pieces of Japanese cloisonné, but this specific family of 16 teapots took us over 28 years to piece together.

Fun collector challenge: One of these teapots is currently missing its lid! As a collector, I still love it just as much, and I hope to find its matching pair one day. Can you spot the lidless one in the first photo?

To me, this group represents a complete masterclass in Meiji-period experimentation with materials, shapes, light, and shadow. I categorize its historical and artistic value into five deep dimensions:

1. The Perfect Trifecta of Base Materials

It is incredibly rare to assemble a collection that simultaneously showcases the three most iconic base techniques of the Meiji era:

Copper Base (The Classic): Features incredibly precise wire cloisonné (Yusen-shippo), demonstrating strict line work and geometric perfection.

Ceramic Base (The Rarest): This includes the light-blue tea set. Firing enamel onto a ceramic body (Totai Shippo) has an incredibly high failure rate in the kiln. Very few pieces survive today, giving them a soft, porcelain-like artistic quality.

Foil-Backed Base (Gin-bari): The pinnacle of light and shadow. Embossed silver or tin foil is laid under the translucent enamel glaze. It catches the light beautifully, making the colors glow like brilliant rubies and sapphires.

2. Extreme Material Fusion

These teapots do not just use one method; they push the limits of complex material mixing. On several pieces, you can see hair-thin copper wiring layered right alongside shimmering under-glaze silver foil, and even accents of Goldstone (Aventurine glass with sparkling copper crystals). Fusing these precious materials on such a small scale required world-class technical skill.

3. Cross-Cultural Shapes & Narratives

These 16 pieces witness a historic cultural dialogue between East and West. The shapes range from traditional Eastern three-legged round pots to Western-style coffee ewers and complete English afternoon tea sets. They document how Meiji artisans used cloisonné to transform traditional Eastern motifs (butterflies, phoenixes, flowers) into luxury goods tailored specifically for Western aristocratic living rooms.

4. From Miniature Curios to Regular Scale

Another element that makes this 28-year curation journey so fulfilling is the incredible variety in scale and silhouette. The collection spans from palm-sized miniatures (ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 inches) up to standard regular sizes.

In Victorian Europe and America, these intricate miniatures were highly sought after as "cabinet pieces"—treasures meant purely for aristocratic display cabinets rather than daily functional use. Looking across the 16 pieces, you can see a distinct anatomical evolution:

Traditional Tripods: Several round-bodied pieces sit elegantly on three delicate metal feet, adapted directly from ancient Japanese koro (incense burner) architecture.

Lobed and Wavy Rims: One of the crown jewels of the set completely abandons the standard round neck, featuring a custom-contoured, undulating wavy rim that requires master-level metalsmithing.

Tall Ewers vs. Squat Pots: The shapes transition fluidly from low, globe-like traditional teapots to tall, narrow, square-profile coffee pitchers designed to cater specifically to Western tastes.

5. The Value of a Systematic Collection

As a complete set, these pieces form an evolutionary map of cloisonné technology. They cover everything from deep, solid black background work to luminous, translucent foil pieces, and from individual showpieces to functional sets. This kind of systematic collecting holds much higher research value and market premium than scattered, individual items.

An Accessible Passion for Everyday Collectors

The best part about collecting Japanese export cloisonné teapots is that it is a hobby regular, everyday people can enjoy. The market prices for these standard-shaped, unsigned Meiji-era teapots have remained relatively stable over the years. With a bit of patience, most of the standard round-bodied or gin-bari pieces shown here can still be tracked down at antique shops or auctions for anywhere between $50 to $300.

The only major exceptions in this group are the highly rare Totai (ceramic-based) teapots and the tall, square-profile coffee ewers, which naturally command a premium due to their scarcity.

A Crucial Tip on Spotting Fakes: Japanese vs. Chinese Antiques

In the early days of my collecting journey, I focused heavily on Chinese porcelain. I learned some incredibly tough, valuable lessons about just how flooded that market is with convincing replicas and masterful modern fakes. That experience is exactly why I eventually shifted my passion toward fields like Japanese cloisonné, belt buckles, hooks, ..., inner painted bottles, tibetan brass cups, tsatsa.

For everyday collectors, Japanese cloisonné offers a massive advantage: genuine antiques are remarkably easy to distinguish from modern reproductions. While the Chinese market relies on stylistic consistency that makes faking easier, Japanese cloisonné underwent a very distinct technical evolution. The specific glaze textures, the characteristic mirror-like polish of the Meiji period, the deliberate use of negative space, and the natural oxidation of Japanese base metals make authentic antiques stand out clearly to an observant eye. It provides a much safer harbor for collectors who want to buy with confidence.

SummaryTo summarize: These 16 teapots are built with "copper as the bones, ceramic as the soul, and silver foil as the light." The shifting colors glistening in the light reflect the relentless pursuit of perfection by Meiji craftsmen over a century ago.

I have attached a detailed close-up photo of each individual teapot for your reference. I would love to hear your thoughts and see your teapots, or connect with anyone who might help me track down a matching lid in the future!

Coming up next: For my 35th topic, I will be moving from teapots to showcase another major branch of my study: Japanese Cloisonné Boxes & Covered Jars. Stay tuned!

Slowed way down on Fallout memorabilia, but I'm still waiting on the newest Pip boy in the mail!

Found this in the archives . My dad loved collecting them ig it was a pretty common hobby back then . These are just a few snippets from the collection . Does anyone recognise anything special or interesting ?

Found these amazing beauty's on Ebay. Shipped from Canada. These balls are quite rare nowadays to buy in such great condition.

Pic 1: (45mm) Flowers (frontside)

Pic 2: Flowers (backside)

Pic 3: (45mm) Spiders (frontside)

Pic 4: Spiders (backside)

Pic 5: (49mm) Creepy Crawlies