+PAIR OF Usubata VASES, bronze - gold - silver, Japan, Meiji era (1868-1912)

A pair of impressive Japanese "Usubata" - "with a thin rim" vases made of bronze, with intricate decorations made using the inlay technique. On one side, the cartouches show figures in a Japanese landscape, and on the other, kacho-ga-type representations. Dodakoto vases are decorated with numerous floral and ornamental inlays and pairs of phoenixes on the sides. Starting in the 17th century, vases of this type were used to create flower arrangements especially for important occasions and holidays. Scenes of playing boys and stylized trees with leaves and flowers were shown. The inlaid surfaces are made of various metals, including gold, silver, copper, shakudō (an alloy of 4-10% gold with 90-94% copper) and shibuichi (an alloy of silver and copper, made in various proportions, sometimes with a small admixture of gold). An extremely precise and intricate work, which can be seen in the attention to detail and very small ornaments. From the 1860s onwards, products of this type became a showcase for the extraordinary skills of Japanese artistic craftsmanship and began to cause a sensation at international world exhibitions, often being purchased directly by European and American museums.

Auction information and results:

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25429/lot/219

https://www.rct.uk/collection/themesublications/japan-courts-and-cultureair-of-bronze-vases

https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/187077

https://core.ac.uk/reader/70325420