Bronze Vase Inlaid With Precious Metals. Japan 19th Century.

Exceptional copper alloy vase inlaid with gold, silver, shakudo and shibuichi. The decor represents two pairs of mandarin ducks at the edge of a river under a hundred-year-old pine tree covered in snow. The cast  is excellent and the finishes perfect. The inlays are in solid metals, there is no gilding, only gold which is exceptional, this type of work in mixed metals is almost always or for the most part simply gilded. The inlays, carvings and engravings are surprisingly perfect. It is the work of one of the best Japanese goldsmiths of his time, perhaps the best. We have not yet found out who it was, but we will be able to do so upon request. The pairs of ducks represent marital happiness and the century-old pine represents longevity, this vase augurs eternal marital happiness. It is very cold, the presence of snow attests to this, moreover the artist has lightly patinated the surface of the vase with subtle, almost invisible cracks reminiscent of cracks in the ice. The vase has been pierced and has suffered damage. shocks, at the collar and at the base (see photos). Such works of such high quality are rarely found on the market; an identical vase, certainly in a pair with this one, was sold around twenty years ago by an auction house in Germany. The collar and base are chiselled with geometric motifs, Greek motifs, lotus flowers, dragons and Lingzi. Meiji period Japan. Height: 415mm Exceptional object.