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Can anyone out there read this signature on a lovely Japanese bronze vase that I believe is written using Hiragana characters? Thank you for any help you can provide!

It's cursive script, not hiragana.
First character is hard to decipher; the second is likey 'ryû' (龍).

Guy.

How interesting Guy! I've attached another image of the signature if that helps along with images of the bronze vase for your review. It's quite beautiful with several 'submerged' koi in bas relief and a lotus stalk in almost full relief, and it has a lovely red Murashido patina. I'm guessing this is a little bit after the Meiji era, but I'm dying to know how the artist is! Much thanks for your help!

Very nice and elegant bronze - this type of refined Japanese applied art from the Meiji period, was the inspiration for the Art Nouveau movement originating in Paris and Brussels in the 1890s.

Guy.

The full reading of the stamped cursive characters
金龍 (Kinryu)　translates as Golden Dragon.It comes from the name of 金龍鋳工　Kinryu Chuukou (Kinryu Metal Casting Comp. Mie Pref, Tanabe City)
in Japan.
With regards,

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