Bronze samurai…..update

[Matsunoki]

Hello again from the UK. It’s cold outside….thank goodness for this Forum!
Bought this a couple of months ago and asked you exceptionally helpful folk for info re the mysterious object he was holding. Many thanks to @Gilles  and @Bugyotsuji for telling me it is a lantern. There was also a suggestion that he represented one of the 47 Ronin which increased the interest for me. The bronze is signed Gyokko  (also reads as Yoshimitsu)…a great quality studio specialising in these bronzes in both plain bronze and also an upgraded version that had gilt details. Meiji period around 1890 ish. When I acquired it it was on an awful incorrect stand so I decided to have my restorer “upgrade it” to the gilt version and I found a nicer piece of wood for its stand.

Before and after……just for interest.

Keep warm and well. 
Colin.

[rematron]

It looks great, Colin!  The color differentiation really adds to its appeal. Thanks for sharing the before and after.

[Alex A]

Very nice Colin.

 

Seldom see good Samurai sculptures.

 

Remember looking years ago and the internet was full of cheap resin sculptures.

 

Did you find it in the UK?

[Matsunoki]

15 minutes ago, Alex A said:

Did you find it in the UK?

Hi Alex, yep, turned up in a provincial auction. There’s quite a few kicking around in the UK…..mostly at Bonhams….but they do crop up all over the place. Always popular especially if they are partial gilt. The best maker is the Miyao studio but Gyokko comes a very close second. Some are far larger. The dealer Kevin Page in London (just about the best Meiji art dealer in the world) had a pair of fully life size samurai in full armour with highly detailed Kabuto etc by Miyao many years ago. Truly gobsmacking. I believe they were around £250k. 
Both studios perfected this art form. Sometimes pieces look exactly the same until you notice that their armour/robes etc have totally different kamon on them…..all done using lost wax casting.

[Matsunoki]

29 minutes ago, Alex A said:

Seldom see good Samurai sculptures.

Kevin currently has this beautiful pair in stock🙂🙂😳😳😳

[Alex A]

I prefer yours, 

 

I would get niggled by that exuberant Naginata.

 

Nice though.

[Matsunoki]

9 minutes ago, Alex A said:

would get niggled by that exuberant Naginata.

Cut the fancy dragon off and turn it into a yari….an easy fix.🙂

If you just fancy a browse put “samurai” into his search box…..or….it is Christmas!

[Bugyotsuji]

The triangular pattern edging to the gando fixes this to the 47 Ronin, as if the crossed feathers Oishi Mon had not been enough. The edges of their winter clothing had this design, as did the edging of many Ukiyo-e prints depicting the story of the Kanadehon Chushingura. It must be Oishi Kuranosuke himself.

Colin, see: Kuniyoshi, Kanadehon Chushingura, act 11 (toshidama-Japanese-prints.com)

A Miyao bronze figure of Oishi Kuranosuke (christies.com)

 

[Matsunoki]

@Bugyotsuji

Piers, thank you so much. That adds a lot more interest to what I regarded as just a decent bronze. I’m surprised Gyokko used such factually accurate info…..maybe they have taken the details from a woodblock print?

Now I’m wondering if their other similar bronze samurai draw their inspiration from the same source ie 47 Ronin? Perhaps they did a series of them? …..and we have never noticed that before? Who knows.

interesting!

Best. Colin

[Stephen]

Well done on your handy work mate.

Must have a very steady hand. 

As nice as it looks I must say I prefer the just bronze look ...just my opinion. 

Which not worth much on here anymore. 

[Winchester]

Agreed, Stephen. FWIW, I preferred the more subtle look—each to their own.

[Matsunoki]

2 hours ago, Stephen said:

Well done on your handy work mate.

Must have a very steady hand. 

Stephen, hello mate. Just to be clear I didn’t do the work on this bronze (except to find the better stand). I have a chap who is wizard at Japanese metalwork and he handled the gold work. It is gold plating, not paint.
…..and yes, it’s a matter of personal taste…plain vs gilded…..until you come to sell em …..the gilded examples sell for approx twice the plain ones. Maybe that influenced me a bit🙂