20 - † YUKIKAZU: A FINE AND LARGE SOFT-METAL-INLAID BRONZE VASE DEPICTING MOUNT FUJI AND BAMBOO

† YUKIKAZU: A FINE AND LARGE SOFT-METAL-INLAID BRONZE VASE DEPICTING MOUNT FUJI AND BAMBOO By Yukikazu (Kowa), signed Yukikazu Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely cast in an elegant ovoid form, rising from a short foot to rounded shoulders and a short neck with a broad, everted rim. The richly patinated, chocolate-brown bronze ground is masterfully worked in silver, shibuichi, and gold takazogan to depict a serene landscape with Mount Fuji rising in the distance behind a flourishing bamboo grove. The tall, slender bamboo stalks are finely articulated with prominent nodes and delicately modeled leaves, their overlapping forms partially obscuring the snow-capped mountain, rendered in silver. Two young bamboo shoots, picked out in gold, emerge from the grassy foreground, their contrasting golden surfaces beautifully accentuating the dark bronze ground. Signed YUKIKAZU. HEIGHT 33.5 cm WEIGHT 3 kg Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. The metalworker Yukikazu was an accomplished practitioner of mixed-metal decoration during the Meiji period, producing finely inlaid bronze vessels distinguished by their delicate pictorial compositions. He is known to have collaborated with the celebrated Kuroda Company of Kyoto, a prominent producer of sophisticated metalwork during the period. Several surviving works bear both Yukikazu's signature and the Kuroda company mark, demonstrating this association. The present vase combines two auspicious motifs of particular significance in Japanese art. Mount Fuji, with its enduring, snow-capped summit, evokes permanence and longevity, while bamboo symbolizes resilience, vitality, and renewal. The inclusion of young bamboo shoots introduces a further allusion to growth, prosperity, and the flourishing of successive generations. The composition is particularly effective in its juxtaposition of the towering, mature bamboo with the emerging golden shoots, set against the distant, timeless silhouette of Mount Fuji. Auction comparison: Compare a related bronze vase with mixed-metal inlay by the Kuroda Company, dating to the Meiji period, 37 cm high, at Sotheby's, The Great Exhibitions Sale, 31 October 2006, London, lot 573 (sold for GBP 6,000 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.