Signed Goshu Hikone no ju Masashige saku [Made by Masashige of Hikone in Omi Province]

Meiji period, 19/20th century

1868-1912

Kogo

Box in mixed metals, inlaid gold, silver, and copper alloys on a shibuichi body. The design depicts the seven sages of the bamboo grove, The Seven Sages found their lives to be in danger when the avowedly "Confucian" Jin Dynasty (Sima clan) came to power. Among other things, some of the seven wrote poems criticizing the court and the administration and wrote Daoist influenced literature. Not all seven sages had similar views. Some of the seven tried to negotiate their way through the difficult political positions by self-consciously adopting the roles of alcohol-fueled pranksters and eccentrics avoiding government control.

Although this box was made during the Meiji period, the box is signed by the maker Goshu Masashige who was alive during the 18th century. A very similar tsuba is in The Ornamental Arts of Japan Vol 2, Section Sixth number 5. Its highly likely that the box lid was made by copying a tsuba made by Goshu Masashige including the signature.

Signed Goshu Hikone no ju Masashige saku [Made by Masashige of Hikone in Omi Province]

68mm x 72mm x 41mm

Watanabe

Meiji period, 19th century

1868-1912

Vase

A double lined silver vase with high relief work depicting Japanese iris. The iris in japan is one of the most used flowers in art and loved by many, it is often a symbol of bravery and victory. The vase was made by Watanabe a highly respected and well-known silver smith using a repousse technique where the image is beaten from the inner side of the silver plate. Some of the iris flowers have been prepared separately and soldered into place whereupon the inner bowl would then be fitted.

135mm x 67mm

Signed Watanabe

Genryusai Seiya

Meiji period, 19/20th century

1868-1912

Jardinière

A small bronze jardinière decorated with a continuous band of elephants on earthy ground, cast in high relief on multiple legs in the form of earth mounds.

The casting of bronze during the Meiji period became a huge industry. Many mines were created to supply demand for industry and growth of the county. Japan had a large supply of copper perfect for the manufacture of bronze items. Genryusai Seiya became one of the largest manufactures of large cast bronze objects for the export market creating mostly casts of animals.

Signed in square stamp Genryusai Seiya

Size 135mm x 255mm

Nogawa

Meiji/ Taisho period 19/20th century

1868-1926

Vesta case

Hand chiselled vesta case in black patina iron and gold inlay. An offset rectangular shape with exposed sides for lighting the matches. Inlayed two-tone gold represents bamboo grass on the front with sparrows in flight and the mark of the Nogawa company on the reverse with a hinged lid for access to matches.

Signed Nogawa company mark

Size 62mm x 60mm

Miyao

Meiji period, 19th century

1868-1912

Okimono

A solid bronze okimono of a farmer smoking a pipe holding a hoe. Highlighted with gold gilding and polished bronze where the skin is present.

During the Edo period in Japan, there were four main classes of people and their position in society. These were samurai, farmers, artisans and tradesmen. The farmers were held higher is society due to their importance in growing food such as rice. Rice continues to be the main staple of the Japanese diet. Rice production became especially significant: feudal lords (daimyō) measured their wealth by it and peasants were required to pay taxes with it. A daimyō would need as much rice production as he could get to increase his wealth. farmers were viewed as the foundation of Japan and granted a social standing just below the samurai class. Yet the government made their lives oppressive and difficult. It was important to keep farmers working and away from urban centres, the government restricted their ability to travel under certain restrictions. Living under excruciating regulations, many farmers were taxed into poverty. Though they grew rice (the currency of the day), they were unable to keep much. Instead, they lived meagrely on millet, wheat and barley.

115mm x 79mm

Signed Miyao

Genryusai Seiya

Meiji period, 19/20th century

1868-1912

Okimono

A large bronze okimono of an Asian elephant being attacked by tigers. Beautifully textured elephant with a leaping tiger on the back and one under the hoof. The tiger stripes are raised using an acid etching technique. Two ivory tusks have been used for this bronze.

The subject matter of this bronze is quite inaccurate as the likelihood of a tiger attacking, and an elephant in the wild is extremely unlikely let alone two tigers as they are solitary animals unless adolescent tigers together from childhood. It is quite understandable that this creates a dynamic subject matter for displaying in bronze giving energy for display. The modelling has been expertly done being anatomically correct in both size relation to the elephant and tigers and the animals themselves.

By the time Genryusai Seiya and other artists of the Meiji period would have seen real animals such as elephants and tigers would most likely be in the zoological gardens of Tokyo which was opened in 1882 giving a far more realistic depiction of exotic animals.

370mm x265mm

Signed Seiya saku