As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this unusual shape heavy quality pair of early Meiji Period (1868-1912) bronze and mixed metal inlaid vases stemming from the Kanazawa school of metalworkers, based in Ishikawa prefecture.  The vases are cast from very heavy gauge bronze typical of the various makers in the region at this time, they each stand on mixed metal decorated foot rims featuring gold hearts set within a continuous silver band, the main body of each vase finely worked with mixed alloys to depict native flora within a lakeside setting, the use of shakudo is particularly well designed and inlaid into the bronze as if painted with ink , the broad shoulders predominantly decorated with flattened silver bands, once again formed as heart shapes, this decoration gives rise to a gold neck band beneath a silver mounted rim carved as sinuous clouds. The underside of these highly complex vases are individually inscribed , the first with the place of...