{"product_id":"17th-18th-c-japanese-bronze-vase","title":"17th - 18th c. Japanese Bronze Vase","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking antique Japanese bronze vase of archaistic gu form, rising from a broad quadrangular foot through a gently swelling lower body to an exceptionally wide, flaring mouth. The restrained silhouette is enlivened at the center by a deeply cast band of archaistic decoration derived from ancient Chinese bronze ornament, its interlocking scrolls and stylized creatures recalling the taotie and dragon motifs of Shang and Zhou ritual vessels. To either side are wonderfully modeled dragon heads, their elongated bodies curving downward to form the handles; projecting horns, ridged brows and finely delineated manes give the creatures an unexpectedly lively presence against the otherwise austere form. Particularly effective is the contrast between the densely worked central register and the broad expanses of undecorated bronze above and below, allowing the powerful architecture of the vessel to dominate. The surface has matured to a deep brown-black patina, subtly revealing warmer bronze tones along the raised ornament and edges. Dating from the first half of the Edo period (17th to 18th century) it is 19.5 x 18.8 x 23 cm (roughly 8 x 7-1\/2 x 9 inches) and is in excellent condition, enclosed in a fine 20th century kiri-wood collector’s box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStylistically, I would be inclined to describe this as Japanese bronze in the Chinese archaistic taste, probably made with a conscious awareness of Chinese ritual bronzes collected and admired in Japan especially after the fall of the Ming dynasty. Although its ancestry is clearly Chinese: the tall, dramatically spreading mouth, constricted central body, spreading square foot, paired dragon handles, and dense band of archaistic ornament all draw upon ancient Chinese ritual bronzes, particularly the gu, although the form here is freely adapted rather than archaeologically copied. The square-to-rounded transitions are especially elegant. The neck opens outward into an almost architectural, four-sided trumpet mouth, and the rim has a very slight irregularity or lobing where the planes meet. Likewise, the base isn't simply square; it is a quadrangular spreading foot with softly rounded corners, which echoes the mouth and gives the entire object a strong vertical symmetry. The combination of the Chinese-derived gu silhouette and archaistic ornament with the rather animated, distinctly Japanese treatment of the dragon handles makes it much more interesting than a straightforward reproduction of an ancient Chinese vessel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51285906587895,"sku":"K1743","price":238300.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-10-0415.22.10.jpg?v=1793862377","url":"https:\/\/kuramonzen.com\/products\/17th-18th-c-japanese-bronze-vase","provider":"Kura Monzen Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}