Japanese bronze incense burner signed Miyao Eisuke Meiji period

Japanese bronze inlaid incense burner (koro) finely worked in gold, shakudō and copper using taka-zōgan and hira-zōgan relief inlay techniques. Raised on four legs cast as dragon masks, the body is inset with four panels worked in rich brown tones with scenes of geese among reeds, egrets soaring above a lotus pond, a daimyō (feudal lord) accompanied by two retainers, and fishermen alongside a large octopus. The neck is decorated with a geometric pattern punctuated by roundels enclosing auspicious motifs, while the remaining surface of the vessel is embellished with flying cranes, stylised scrollwork, and archaic designs.
The koro stands on a circular base enriched with stylised floral and scrolling motifs. The domed cover is surmounted by a finial in the form of a crouching young boy wearing an ornate robe, restraining a small dog that has caught a bird. Signed within a rectangular gilt plaque Miyao zō 宮尾造, Meiji period 1868-1912.

Founded by Miyao Eisuke 宮尾柴助, the Miyao Company operated from premises in Tokyo and Yokohama, where it produced finely crafted bronze sculptures. The firm is also recorded as having exhibited carvings at the second Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (National Industrial Exposition) in 1881. Its output is especially associated with monumental bronze figures of warriors and scenes drawn from Japanese myth and legend, subjects that held particular appeal for Western audiences of the time. Miyao’s works are distinguished by their elaborate ornamentation, achieved through gilding, resulting in high-quality bronzes with deep, lustrous brown patinas.

Reference: 'The Golden Age of Japanese Okimono: The Dr. Kanter Collection', by Laura Bordignon, ACC Woodbridge 2010, Metalwork no. 241, 258, 260, 262, 264, 266.

'The Dragon King of the Sea: Japanese Decorative Art of the Meiji Period from the John R.Young Collection', by O. Impey, M. Fairley, Ashmolean Museum Oxford 1991.

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