How do I identify a Meiji period piece?

Meiji period items typically date between eighteen sixty-eight and nineteen twelve, reflecting a time of immense technical expansion in Japanese craftsmanship. Look for deep patinated bronzes and intricate mixed-metal inlays that characterise the era's output. Signatures or marks on the base often point to specific workshops or master metalworkers active during this window. Comparing the complexity of the casting helps distinguish these pieces from later reproductions.

What is the difference between cloisonne and champleve?

Cloisonne involves soldering thin metal wires onto a solid metal base to form compartments that hold enamel paste. This method creates delicate, linear patterns across vases and trays. Champleve, by contrast, relies on gouging or carving troughs directly into the thick metal plate to receive the enamel. The resulting design lines appear bolder and more integrated into the heavy metal body.

How should I care for antique bronze?

Antique bronze requires minimal intervention to preserve its original patinated surface and historical integrity. Dust the piece gently with a soft, dry cloth and avoid chemical polishes that strip away the aged finish. Keep the items away from excessive moisture and direct sunlight to protect any inlaid elements or delicate enamel sections. Stable indoor humidity ensures the metal remains secure and untarnished.

What do okimono sculptures represent?

Okimono translate literally as置物, meaning placing objects for display in domestic interior spaces. Artisans carved or cast these sculptures to depict nature, folklore, and figures from everyday life with great realism. Collectors prize them for capturing dynamic poses of animals, such as elephants, tigers, or monkeys. Their presence adds a narrative element to a collection of metalwork.

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Japanese Metalwork

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These pieces of japanese metalwork encompass intricate bronze sculptures, vibrant cloisonne enamel vessels and patinated trays from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Antique Oriental Japanese Large Fine Quality Bronze Jardinière Planter Suiban Ikebana Late Edo C1850

19th century

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Antique Oriental Japanese Large Fine Quality Bronze Jardinière Planter Suiban Ikebana Late Edo C1850

From Prior and Willis

£2,096

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Enamel Vase

19th century

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Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Enamel Vase

From Patrick Moorhead Antiques

£2,800

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

19th century

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Fine Pair Japanese Bronze Vases,c1880

From Curious Antiques

£695

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Pair Japanese Meiji Period Cloisonne Enamel Vases / Lamps

19th century

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Pair Japanese Meiji Period Cloisonne Enamel Vases / Lamps

From Patrick Moorhead Antiques

£3,200

3+ MONTHS AGO

lighting

19th century

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19th Century Oriental Japanese Cloisonne Vase

From Prior and Willis

£1,886

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Large Pair of Antique Decorative Vases, Japanese, Bronze, Amphora, Victorian

1900 - 1920

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Large Pair of Antique Decorative Vases, Japanese, Bronze, Amphora, Victorian

From London Fine Antiques

£2,850

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Very Large Pair of Presentation Japanese Bronze Vases Dated 1903 Meiji Period

1900 - 1920

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Very Large Pair of Presentation Japanese Bronze Vases Dated 1903 Meiji Period

From Prior and Willis

£1,396

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Very Large Pair of Japanese Bronze Vases Meiji Period

1900 - 1920

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Very Large Pair of Japanese Bronze Vases Meiji Period

From Prior and Willis

£1,256

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

1900 - 1920

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Very Large Pair of Japanese Bronze Vases Meiji Period

From Prior and Willis

£1,256

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

19th century

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Large Japanese Bronze Vase ,C1890

From Curious Antiques

£395

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Several bronze sculptures capture unlikely animal encounters, including elephants fighting tigers and a tarantula spider rendered with meticulous detail.

A Pair of Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Vases, Circa 1900

1900 - 1920

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A Pair of Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Vases, Circa 1900

From Robert Belcher Antiques

£760

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

Large Japanese Bronze Vase by Genryusai Seiya.

1900 - 1920

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Large Japanese Bronze Vase by Genryusai Seiya.

From Donald Allison Antiques

£12,750

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

1900 - 1920

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Plique-a-jour

From Carlton House Antiques

£250

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

19th century

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Pair Large Japanese Bronze Vases, C1890

From Curious Antiques

£895

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

19th century

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Late 19th Century Japanese Bronze Okimono of a Rat Clutching a Chestnut, Meiji Period

From H & H Gallery

£1,750

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

A Fine and Heavy Signed Bronze Tsuba Overlaid with Silver in the Form of a Heron

1900 - 1920

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A Fine and Heavy Signed Bronze Tsuba Overlaid with Silver in the Form of a Heron

From Gerard Robinson Fine Art and Antiques

£485

3+ MONTHS AGO

metal

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Japanese Metalwork

Antique Oriental Japanese Large Fine Quality Bronze Jardinière Planter Suiban Ikebana Late Edo C1850

Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Enamel Vase

Fine Pair Japanese Bronze Vases,c1880

Pair Japanese Meiji Period Cloisonne Enamel Vases / Lamps

19th Century Oriental Japanese Cloisonne Vase

Large Pair of Antique Decorative Vases, Japanese, Bronze, Amphora, Victorian

Very Large Pair of Presentation Japanese Bronze Vases Dated 1903 Meiji Period

Very Large Pair of Japanese Bronze Vases Meiji Period

Very Large Pair of Japanese Bronze Vases Meiji Period

Large Japanese Bronze Vase ,C1890

A Pair of Meiji Period Japanese Bronze Vases, Circa 1900

Large Japanese Bronze Vase by Genryusai Seiya.

Plique-a-jour

Pair Large Japanese Bronze Vases, C1890

Late 19th Century Japanese Bronze Okimono of a Rat Clutching a Chestnut, Meiji Period

A Fine and Heavy Signed Bronze Tsuba Overlaid with Silver in the Form of a Heron

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