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Japanese Art Nouveau Style Meiji Bronze Vase, Signed browse these categories for related items... Directory: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Metalwork: Pre 1920: item # 374874 Please refer to our stock # 6B-375 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $765 |
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| This elegant Japanese cast bronze vase has a slender base rising to an elongated narrow neck which flares to a small trumpet mouth, its front side wonderfully decorated with a virtuoso high relief rendition of an iris plant in flower, the stream in which it grows being represented by a swirl of bronze. Meiji period (1868-1912). The reverse is undecorated, indicating that the vase was intended for display in a tokonoma (alcove) or similar recess. There is a two-character signature mark engraved on the base, but we have been unable to identify this particular metal artist. The bold and extremely realistic high relief decoration is applied to the body of the vase, exceeding one full inch and a half in depth in places. The sword-shaped leaves, which rise out of a flowing stream, bend and arch randomly. The exquisite open blossom has delicately curled petals and full stamens. Nearby, a bud is ready to burst into bloom. If you have ever witnessed the fantastic lush blooms of live Japanese irises, you will immediately recognize the incredible attention to detail in this phenomenal bronze rendition. (See a similar decoration on a vase illustrated in Plate 34 of the sumptuous book entitled FLOWER BRONZES OF JAPAN by Joe Earle.) The iris (“shobu”), a very popular flower in Japan which plays an important role in the traditional life of the Japanese people, is often represented in Japanese decorative arts and paintings. Japanese metalwork was a sophisticated and complex craft, and metal artists were highly esteemed. When swords were banned in 1871 by government edict after the Meiji Restoration, many sword smiths and armor craftsmen were forced into new outlets and produced a wide variety of decorative arts objects, such as this vase. This highly decorative example of Meiji metalwork is in excellent condition with wonderful original patina. Normal surface wear includes a few light scratches and two slight abrasions on the back, none of which detracts from the integrity of the piece. Dimensions: 10 ½” high, 3” maximum diameter. | |||||||||||||
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