Japanese bronze hawk with silvered body signed Gyōkō Meiji period

Japanese bronze hawk with silvered body naturalistically modelled perched on a cherry blossom trunk with eyes inlaid in shakudo and gilt signed in a rectangular reserve plaque Gyōkō 暁光, Meiji period 1868-1912.

The artist Akasofu Gyōkō 赤祖父暁光 (given name Sotojirō) lived in Tokyo producing from his workshop cast metalwork sculptures.
His recorded figures of birds are hawks and eagles but he also produced large-scale models of samurai warriors. He was a member of the Tokyo Cast Metalworkers’ Association (Tōkyō Chōkinkay) active in the second half of the Meiji Era.

Hawk dimensions without bronze trunk:
H 18 cm ( 7.09" inches) x W 32 cm ( 12.60" inches)

Reference: 'Splendors of Meiji Treasures of Imperial Japan' by J. Earle no. 93, 223 & 224.

Also see 'Meiji no Takara 明治の宝 Treasures of Imperial Japan, the D. Khalili Collection', Metalwork part II, No.110.