A Massive Bronze and Mixed-Metal Vase

MEIJI PERIOD (LATE 19TH CENTURY), STAMPED ON THE BASE KIRYU KOSHO KAISHA SEI BENEATH THE "DOUBLE-MOUNTAIN" MARK OF THE COMPANY, SIGNED ON THE SIDE YUKIMUNE HORU KORE (SUGIURA YUKIMUNE) AND SEALED KOICHI ZU AND SUGIURA

Details

A Massive Bronze and Mixed-Metal Vase
Meiji period (late 19th century), stamped on the base Kiryu Kosho Kaisha sei beneath the "double-mountain" mark of the company, signed on the side Yukimune horu kore (Sugiura Yukimune) and sealed Koichi zu and Sugiura
The vase worked in high relief with a pheasant perched on the gnarled trunk of a maple tree by autumn plants and grasses and two small birds in flight, the details of the bird's feathers intricately carved and embellished with copper, gold, silver and shakudo, the leaves patinated in autumn colors of red, brown, gold and shakudo, the trunk of the tree carved and chiselled to resemble the rough texture of bark, the neck decorated with a band of lappets contaning half florets rendered in gold, silver and shakudo; signature on shakudo reserve
33 7/8in. (86cm.) high

Lot Essay

Sugiura Yukimune worked for the Kiryu Kosho Kaisha (First Trading and Manufacturing Company), founded in 1873 by the Meiji government after the great success of the Japanese exhibit of the Vienna World Exhibition. He and his older brother Yukinari studied metalwork and carving sword-fittings in the tradition of Yokoya Somin (1670-1733). Both Yukimune and Yukinari exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1900. The signature Koichi on this bronze is that of Yamamoto Koichi, who was responsible for the design. Typically, Koichi would produce a design to be cast in bronze, often supervised by Suzuki Chokichi (1848-1919), another master craftsman employed by the Kiryu Kosho Kaisha. The intricate carving of the mixed-metal decoration was left to other artists like Yukimune. In this manner the Kiryu Kosho Kaisha produced many examples of bronzes that represented a successful combination of two of the principal metalworking traditions of pre-modern Japan: bronzecasting and chiselling in gold, silver and a variety of copper alloys.

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