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Description
Background
From our collection of antique Japanese metalwork, this delightful Bronze Okimono of a horse. The beast moves at a jolly canter with head up, alert and tail swishing as it moves. The figure has clearly been inspired by the European Bronze statues of the time. The sculpting, while highly detailed and skilled is not quite what one would expect from a Japanese Bronze horse of the Meiji-era (1868-1912).
The reign of Emperor Meiji was a time when Japan opened to trade with the rest of the world after centuries of being a feudal, inward-looking nation. Although Japan is known for making many works of art to sell to the West at the time, trade does flow both ways and imported European artworks were an inspiration for Japanese artists.