Matsunoki

Well to my eyes it looks carved in exactly the same way as mei on swords…..a series of close taps/chips/cuts with a small very sharp cutter. Wood and ivory carvers had a vast array of different tools, cutters and chisels of great varying sizes and shapes at their disposal (probably not the same as used to carve iron) and used them depending on the effect required and the rapidity of material removal needed. This looks like a very fine “v” shaped tool not unlike those used in katakiribori. In wood carving the material is actually removed whereas in mei on swords it is usually pushed upwards leaving a “ridge” around the mei kanji.

Or this……(I wrote all the text under “read more”) https://steveslyjapaneseart.com/product-category/bronze/

This should keep,you occupied for a fair while!🙂🙂 Not everything is priced which is pretty normal for the expensive stuff Just think of a number and add several zeros! https://kevinpage.co.uk/collections/?fwp_collection=okimono

That was a nice find Brian. Unusual subject…..I’ve seen many in ivory but not one in bronze. Usually they are farmers or Bijin. Great example of late Meiji high quality naturalistic casting and finishing.

Hi Alex, nowadays it’s like walking in a minefield….great many repros/fakes of varying quality from pretty good to pretty awful. Also many modern pieces being made in Japan apparently from a process that takes moulds from original items and then recasts ( many of these are solid whereas good Meiji bronzes are hollow and often rattle inside a bit which might sound bizarre but true!) There are many fakes of Samurai, plain or partially gilt, monkeys, birds of prey, koro…..the list goes on and on. Some made in Japan, some China and probably elsewhere. Its just like swords…..you simply have to develop the “eye” based on handling many genuine things. Alloys used in genuine pieces can vary a lot as well and patina can be equally variable in colour. It comes down to being able to recognise artistry, quality of casting, quality of subsequent finishing (carving, gilding, patination etc) Some makers are obvious….Seiya, Miyao, Maruki, but again….there are fakes of these as well. I dealt in Meiji bronzes for many years when good pieces were available but nowadays not so much good stuff surfaces. 99% of small bronze okimono for sale in the UK via UK auctions, especially things like insects, crustaceans, rats, creepy crawlies, scorpions, dragons are all fake (loosely in Meiji style). Even UK antique platforms (Selling Antiques and others) are littered with mostly fakes. No easy answer……know your subject……caveat emptor. Websites to look at…Kevin Page, Steve Sly (both personal friends and excellent trusted dealers) plus of course Bonhams. Malcolm Fairley and Grace Tsumugi probably have pieces on their websites also. Happy to look at anything you are thinking about. Best. Colin

Chris, just a thought…..you might be better to have a separate thread for each item rather than overload everything into just this one.

It’s always worth remembering that a huge slice of Japanese art and imagery (of any variety from all periods) has been borrowed from or loosely based on earlier Chinese art/history. That includes religious figures, legends, general art styles and subjects etc That can be very confusing at times but the usual giveaway is the unique aesthetic that the Japanese bring to art. It is different to Chinese but takes a while to recognise. Also the Japanese pay meticulous attention to detail. A good example is to compare Japanese netsuke with the modern Chinese stuff. Same applies with tsuba. Even very well carved Chinese pieces are artistically totally different. it is difficult toexplain but Japanese often has a “softness” to it.

@Bugyotsuji….Piers, what do you think? Im still for Japanese especially with that lovely ivory “repair” (but that is not based on hard knowledge!)

Imo Japanese. Nice “wabi sabi” feel to it.

Forgot to answer fully…age…likely last 20 years, origin likely africa, value (artistic or monetary) zero. Sorry but these are far worse than even the modern Chinese fakes.

As said above….not netsuke, not Japanese and sad to say that elephants are still being killed to make stuff like this as souvenirs for tourists🤬

John, sorry, no. We parted company a while ago. Best. C.

Hi Rob search for “legend of the badger tea kettle” ….very well known and much depicted in varied Japanese arts

I was wrong…..they did thank us!…..

…..and they commonly charge us Buyers over 30% premium for the privilege of doing business with them……but that is a choice we as buyers make…..it’s up to us whether we chose to actually view a lot or whether we actually chose to buy it unseen and risk it. It’s a tough reality!