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Japanese Futabana Flower Bronze Vase, Late Edo browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Metalwork: Pre 1900: item # 397360 Please refer to our stock # 6B-382 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $675 |
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This elegant and distinctly Japanese bronze flower vessel was cast in futabana style with a classic low body, crisply cut shoulder and wide flaring trumpet-shaped mouth. Late Edo period, mid-19th century. Just above the shoulder on either side of the neck are two applied Chinese style dragon head handles cast in bronze in wonderful detail. The body is engraved all over with flowers and scrolling vine designs. The free-and-easy manipulation of Chinese elements seen in bronzes of the late Edo period is typified by this vase. Compared with earlier Edo pieces, the metal is more carefully cast and finished, while the two dragon handles become a minor decorative feature rather than an integral part of the form. (See similar examples illustrated and discussed in the sumptuous book entitled FLOWER BRONZES OF JAPAN by Joe Earle.) This type of bulbous bronze flower vase was used by the Ikenobo school, which is the oldest school of Japanese flower arrangement (ikebana). Kyoto was the birthplace both of ikebana and of the bronze flower vessel, and scrolls dating from the second half of the 17th century show the first examples of this most characteristic of Japanese bronze forms, the so-called futabana (two-flower) vase. By 1698, the futabana seems to have become one of the most popular ikebana vase forms, with handles that predominantly included dragons, shishi, butterflies and hares. With the emergence of flower arrangement and the tea ceremony as distinctively Japanese cultural pursuits, bronze casters began to develop new and innovative forms of vessels loosely based on Chinese originals but with an unmistakable Japanese elegance. These culminated in large bronze vases cast in exaggerated form for the classic, formal rikka style of flower arrangement, prevalent in the 17th century and early 18th centuries. With the re-opening of overseas contacts from the 1850’s, traditional styles were combined with the skills of the metal craftsmen and sword smiths in the manufacture of these magnificent showpieces, many of which were displayed at exhibitions in Europe and the United States. CONDITION: This handsome Japanese flower bronze is in excellent condition with a beautiful rich patina that comes with age. There are some signs of normal wear and usage, including a slight indentation on the lip. DIMENSIONS: 10 ¾” high, 9 3/8” diameter of mouth. |
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