An antique early 20th-century Japanese Sumida Gawa drip pottery vase. A tall dark brown vase with two applied figurines of old men. The lack of glaze on the surface indicates that the vase was manufactured during Taisho era, 1912-1926. Sumida pottery was created on the banks of Sumida river near Tokyo specifically for export between the late 1800s and the 1920s. It is usually heavy and covered with figures in relief. The style of applied figures on a surface with flowing glaze was invented about 1890 by the Seto potter Ryosai I, who worked in Tokyo from about 1875 to 1900. Sumida Gawa pieces were among the most appreciated oriental decor items during the Art Deco period in the Western world. Collectible Antique Sumida Gawa Pottery, Japanese Earthenware For Interior Design.