Himeji Heron Enamel Box

Elegant hand-enamelled and crystal-set design inspired by a naturalistic bronze sculpture by Masatsune (active late 19th century), echoing the refined modelling and close observation of wildlife characteristic of Meiji-period Japan (1868-1912). The Meiji period witnessed an extraordinary flowering of Japanese metalwork as craftsmen who had previously worked for the samurai class redirected their exceptional skills towards decorative bronzes and inlaid metalwork for the international exhibition market. Masatsune and his contemporaries brought to animal sculpture a quality of attentive naturalism sharpened by centuries of Japanese artistic tradition, producing pieces in which the texture of feathers or the alertness of a bird's eye were rendered with a precision that European sculptors of the period found deeply inspiring. A beautiful and considered gift for any admirer of Japanese decorative art. Made exclusively for Museum Selection.

Colour:Blue
Zinc alloy, crystal, enamel
7 x 3.5 x 8cm
Hinged lid