A heavy “Yellow Bronzew” vase by Kaneya Gorosaburo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Otodo Dantsuki Kabin. It is 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter, 27 cm (11 inches tall) and comes with the original wooden base al in excellent condition. The box is singed with the name Metal Valley, incorporated by the 9th generation placing this as either the work of the 9th or 10th generations (died 1889 and 1901 respectively) judging by signature. There is a copper inser for holding water, so that the entire vase need not be filled.
Kanaya Gorōsaburō is a representative ornamental bronze caster of Kyoto. The first-generation Kanaya Gorōsaburō, working under the workshop name Kanaya (Metal Shop), devised innovative methods of patinating bronze. His scarlet-toned copper finish was especially admired and came to be celebrated. When commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to produce a brazier for the tea ceremony in the distinctive “Gorōsaburō color,” the work was met with great acclaim and earned unparalleled renown. Thereafter, these techniques were preserved as closely guarded family secrets and transmitted from generation to generation. The eighth-generation Kanaya Gorōsaburō entered the service of the Owari Tokugawa lords and enjoyed their patronage to such an extent that the name “Gorō” itself came to be used as a synonym for fine copperware. The ninth-generation Kanaya Gorōsaburō, regarded as one of the most accomplished masters in the lineage, devoted himself to the advancement of the craft. He received numerous medals at domestic and international expositions, and during his tenure the family name was formally changed from Kanaya (金屋) to Kanaya (金谷).
