Art Nouveau Japanese Table Bronze and Brass with Dragonfly Motif, 1920s

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This table reflects the Japanese Art Nouveau movement of the 1920s, cast in bronze and brass and finished with hand-chiseled … Read more This table reflects the Japanese Art Nouveau movement of the 1920s, cast in bronze and brass and finished with hand-chiseled floral engravings across the surface. The tabletop takes the form of a wide oval tray, its rim shaped into a continuous wave pattern that recalls rippling water, with two curled handles at either end. A dragonfly rests in relief near one edge of the surface, its wings and body raised above the engraved floral and foliage motifs spread across the bronze plane. Beneath the top, three curved legs rise and cross near the center before splaying outward, their surfaces textured to resemble tree branches or roots, joined partway down by a cluster of cast metal blossoms and vines that forms a small internal support. The organic silhouette and the water and insect imagery are typical of the naturalistic vocabulary that Japanese metalworkers brought into Art Nouveau design during this period, often for export to European markets. Scaled as a small occasional or side table, it suits placement beside an armchair, at the end of a sofa, or as an accent piece in an entry hall, where its sculptural base and engraved top can be appreciated at close range. The combination of bronze and brass gives the piece a warm, layered tonality across both the tray and the legs. See less