MUSASHIYA: A FINE SILVERED OKIMONO OF CRANES

MUSASHIYA: A FINE AND RARE SILVERED OKIMONO OF A PAIR OF CRANES
By the Ozeki workshop for the Musashiya company, signed Musashiya
Japan, c. 1900, Meiji period (1868-1912)

Naturalistically cast and carved as a pair of cranes with slightly curved beaks, one with its head raised and the other preening its finely incised wing feathers, the eyes finished in gold and shakudo, the legs and feet crafted from bronze, each signed MUSASHIYA underneath and mounted with metal loops on a naturalistically carved associated wood base.

HEIGHT 27 cm (incl. base) and 24 cm (excl. base)
WEIGHT 1,580 g (total)

Condition: Good condition with minor surface wear, one leg with an old repair, slightly loose, the base with few small natural age cracks and few minuscule chips.
Provenance: US private collection.

The Ozeki family were among the most active commissioners of high-quality decorative arts in the Meiji period. They exhibited a number of these commissioned pieces at expositions where they often won awards for their discerning eye for quality. The family would also sell the pieces they commissioned through their company, the Musashiya.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related pair of silvered bronze okimono of red-capped cranes, signed Hidenao and dated to the late 19th century, at Christie's, Masterful Exuberance, Artistic Craftsmanship of Imperial Japan: The Property of a Lady, 18 May 2012, London, lot 101 (sold for 17,500 GBP).