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

A pair of sumptuous Japanese vases "Usubata" - "with a thin rim" made of bronze, with intricate decorations made using the inlay technique. On the one hand, the cartouches show characters amidst the Japanese landscape, and on the other, kacho-ga-type representations. The vases are decorated with numerous floral and ornamental inlays and pairs of phoenixes on the sides. From the 17th century on, vases of this type were used to arrange flower arrangements especially for important occasions and holidays. Scenes of boys playing and stylized trees with leaves and flowers were shown. Inlaid surfaces are made of a variety of metals, including gold, silver, copper, shakudō (an alloy of 4-10% gold with 90-94% copper) and shibuichi (an alloy of silver with copper, made in various proportions, sometimes with a small addition of gold) . Extremely precise and intricate work, which can be seen from the attention to detail and very small ornaments. Beginning in the 1860s, products of this type became a display of the extraordinary abilities of Japanese craftsmanship and began to make a sensation at international international exhibitions, often bought directly by European and American museums.

Information and auction results:

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

https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/publications/japan-courts-and-culture/pair-of-bronze-vases

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

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