Mitani, Japanese Meiji Okimono Sculpture of an Eagle, 1890s, Bronze

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Description

Rare bronze okimono with multiple patina representing a bird of prey perched on a hollow trunk.
This sculpture is astonishingly … Read more Rare bronze okimono with multiple patina representing a bird of prey perched on a hollow trunk.
This sculpture is astonishingly realistic: observe the somewhat crude appearance of the trunk, which seems to be nothing more than a bark enveloping an inert body, in contrast with the falcon with its smooth, almost soft plumage, which has been chiseled down to the smallest details thus appearing more alive than ever on this dead tree. The bird seems to have spotted its prey in the distance, with its piercing eyes, treated in gold and shakudo by the artist.
This extraordinary okimono was made by a great master, is not signed but is similar to the work of Mitani.
Japan, late 19th century. See less