9 - JOSHU: A FINE OSHIMA JOUN SCHOOL BRONZE ‘JUROJIN WITH CRANES AND PINE’ TRIPOD KORO (INCENSE BURNER)

JOSHU: A FINE OSHIMA JOUN SCHOOL BRONZE ‘JUROJIN WITH CRANES AND PINE’ TRIPOD KORO (INCENSE BURNER) By Kobayashi Joshu, signed Joshu saku Japan, early 20th century, Meiji (1868-1912) to Taisho period (1912-1926) Finely cast, the ovoid body supported on three gently curved, pointed legs and rising to a broad circular mouth fitted with a separately cast domed cover. The sides worked in varying degrees of relief with three cranes amid lush pine branches, two standing below and a third in flight above. The cover surmounted by Jurojin, the elderly deity of longevity, seated at ease in loose-fitting robes and holding an uchiwa fan in his right hand, his bearded face framed by a hood falling to the rear. The cover pierced with cloud-form apertures for the incense smoke to escape. The underside signed JOSHU saku [made by Joshu]. HEIGHT 27.7 cm (incl. cover) WEIGHT 2.1 kg (incl. cover) Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear. Oshima Joun (1858-1940), whose school Joshu belonged to, was among the foremost Japanese bronze casters of the Meiji and Taisho periods. A professor at the Tokyo School of Art from 1887 to 1932, he exhibited internationally at Paris in 1900, St. Louis in 1904, and London in 1910, helping establish Japanese bronze sculpture at the highest level of international decorative arts.