As part of our Japanese works of art collection we are delighted to offer this exceptional quality Meiji Period 1868-1912 silvered bronze & mixed metal okimono depicting a pair of Egrets upon a hardwood base, the finely cast & chiseled Egrets are by the highly regarded Meiji period artist Sano Takachika, the sculpture depicts one bird with a fish in its beak whilst its mate stoops before him, the artist is recorded as working in Tokyo as part of the Tokyo sculpture society where he clearly excelled in the study of birds and their individual feather characteristics, as demonstrated here, the remarkable attention to detail can be seen in the drawing of the birds and the plumage particularly to the rear of the Egrets, the legs and beaks formed as shibuichi and shakudo with the eyes picked out in gilt, the birds are located on pegs to the carved wood simulated rock pool base and each are signed by Takachika in a rectangular seal to the underside. A most charming rendition of a pair of Egre...