Japanese bronze dish with egrets and Mount Fuji signed Inoue of Kyoto Meiji period

Japanese bronze inlaid dish finely decorated in gold, silver, shakudo and copper taka-zogan and hira-zogan depicting graceful egrets soaring above pavilions nestled beneath a rising sun, with the iconic Mount Fuji in the distance. The tranquil landscape is enriched with blooming cherry blossoms, wisteria and chrysanthemums. The rim with a geometric pattern in gold damascene punctuated by roundels depicting auspicious motifs such as a dragon, a phoenix, birds and butterflies signed in a rectangular reserve with chiselled characters Inoue zo 井上製 (made by Inoue of Kyoto 京都井上), Meiji period (1868-1912).

Mount Fuji (Fujisan 富士山) is Japan’s most revered and iconic peak, situated within the scenic Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. In 2013, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural and spiritual significance.

Historically regarded as sacred by practitioners of Shinto and Buddhism, Mount Fuji has served as a site of pilgrimage and artistic inspiration for centuries. Its majestic form has been immortalized in countless works of art, most notable in the woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景) by the eminent ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, produced between 1826 and 1832. These prints not only exemplify Edo-period aesthetics but also underscore the mountain’s enduring symbolic presence in Japanese identity and landscape representation.

Reference: ‘Meiji no Takara 明治の宝 Treasures of Imperial Japan, the D.Khalili Collection’, the Kibo Foundation 1995, Metalwork Part I, no. 12, and Metalwork Part II, no. 87.

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