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Subject:Re: chinese or japanese bronze
Posted By: Guy Thu, Feb 26, 2015
Did some additional research because this is an interesting piece.
Your item is a 'suiban' (flower vessel or jardiniere for the tea ceremony). I could identify the seal mark 'Dai Nippon, Toto (no) ju, Toun iru' (大日本東都住渡雲鋳 - Great Japan, Toto resident, casted by Toun).
Toto is an alternative name for Tokyo.
The artist is Kimura Toun, pupil of Murata Seimin.
This is early Meiji metalwork from the 1870s and not made for export.
Similar suiban made by Toun:
http://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/opere-arte/schede/6c070-00107/
Other item bearing the same seal can be viewed here:
http://www.kaiungaku.com/shin-oki61/e0858.html
To my surprise, I found also a reference to an object in the 'Catalogue of Specimens of Japanese Lacquer and Metal Work Exhibited in 1894'. London, containing a description that matches with your suiban. I wonder if this could have been the object in your possession.
the catalogue can by viewed also online (look for #40), 'Toto' is misread in the description as Kyoto:
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Catalogue_of_Specimens_of_Japanese_Lacquer_and_Metal_Work_Exhibited_in_1000905744/95
Guy
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