Japanese pair of shibuichi geese signed Yamazaki Seimei Shōwa period c.1940.

Japanese pair of shibuichi wild geese naturalistically rendered, one goose stands alert with its neck extended and head held gracefully aloft, while the other lowers its head in a quieter gesture suggestive of rest. The surfaces are finely engraved and carved to convey the nuanced texture of the feathers. Subtle tonal variations in the metal adds to the birds’ realism. The artist’s signature, Seimei saku 清明作 (made by Seimei), is chiselled into the bronze, Shōwa period c.1940.

The tomobako wood storage box inscribed Oborogin sei (rogin sei), Kari, okimono 朧銀製, 雁, 置物 (Geese Okimono made in oborogin). Yamazaki Seimei saku 山崎清明作 (made by Yamazaki Seimei) with the seal Seimei 清明.

The artist Yamazaki Seimei 山崎清明 lived in Kyoto and was active in the Shōwa period.

The wild goose (kari 雁) motif frequently appears in paintings and folding screens, where it symbolises the autumn season and a happy marriage.

Size standing goose: H 28cm (11 in.) x W 31cm (12.2 in.) D 21cm (8.2 in.)

Size goose with head lowered: H 12cm (4.7 in.) x W 24cm (9.4 in.) x D 9cm (3.5 in.)

Reference: Japanese metalwork was unique for its use of many alloys that could be patinated with acids and other solutions to achieve specific colour finishes. Professor Jiro Harada (Japanese Art and Artists of Today-V. Metal-work, the Studio 1910, p. 97), reported over 70 different alloys including shibuichi (or rogin) typically 75% copper and 25% silver, patinates to grey-green.

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