Japanese bronze eagle signed Gyōkō Meiji period

Code: 10154

Dimensions:

Japanese bronze eagle naturalistically modelled with its wings folded and head lowered, perched on a rootwood base with the beak, eyes and claws 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.

Eagle dimensions without rootwood base:
H 25cm (9.84" inches) x W 49cm (19.29") x D 20cm (7.87")

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