Japanese bronze flute player on a Big Rat/Cat/?? memebers,?

[francantolin]

Hello dear 

[francantolin]

Started quickly without text !! Sorry !!

dear members, I wanted to show this bronze statue / maybe an incense burner I just received.

 

Sadly some cracks and the ( what I think was ) the flute is missing

 

I think it's Japanese , maybe Meiji Era, with delicate goldening on the flute player

and interesting kind of red ans silver clouds ? and a Moon ? on the animal.

 

First I thought it was a bull or a big cat but now I have it, I think it's a big rat of some kind of fabulous animal ,

maybe a yokai ?

 

Does anybody know the ''signature'' on the statues and maybe what represent these characters ??

 

 

[francantolin]

Mei ? / Signature and a sign on the belly of the character ...

 

Every comment suggestion is welcomed

 

Kind regards

 

[PietroParis]

It’s a bull. It represents the sixth stage of Zen enlightenment.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Bulls

[PietroParis]

It’s also a classic netsuke subject:

 

 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/60459

[francantolin]

Hello,

Thank you Pietro for your answer and links-pictures,

I totally agree with you for the general shape for the model of the ''statue'' and  the massive shape-body of the animal 

but here the statue has fingers on the paws ( 5 and 4 back ) and no hoofs, strange tail

and  more importantly, a head  ( without horns ) with pointed muzzle and with whiskers/moustache...

Seems like a rat/cat on steroîds !!

just a fantasy of the maker ??

[Bugyotsuji]

Pretty sure this is a slightly humorous 金太郎Kintaro, Pietro, showing his mastery over all of the animal kingdom (rolled into one?).

The 金 on his bib is the key to the character.

[PietroParis]

OK, the overall composition so obviously recalled the “sixth stage” picture that I must admit I did not even bother to look at the details of the beast. And of course I bow to Piers’ superior knowledge...

[PietroParis]

Could it then be just Kintaro and a bear mimicking the boy and ox of the classic iconography? I noticed that the Japanese depictions of bears are often quite weird...

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, Pietro, a Japanese meme, I don't see why not.

[PietroParis]

See e.g. this one...

 

 

https://collections.lacma.org/node/188358

[PietroParis]

Or maybe it's just the classic Kintaro with a bear, and the missing object is an ax instead of a flute?

[francantolin]

Thank you so much for your precious message !!

Bugyotsuji, thousand thanks  for the translation of the kanji leading to Kintaro !!

 

And yes, surely a bear,

find this one of Kintaro and his bear with the same face-expression

 

Kind regards !!!!

 

 

[francantolin]

Meiji Period ? Maybe later ??

What do you think ?

Than you

[Bugyotsuji]

Franco, this is not my area, but I think you are right, Meiji (or possibly later).

 

From his pose, though, the flute possibility remains.

 

 

[Brian]

For some reason (no idea why) the pose and gap in his hands made me think of blowing a conch shell.