Object Description
Signed in a seal under the tail feathers ‘Masatsune cho’, made by Masatsune.
This beautifully modelled ostrich has been patinated to accentuate the form and increase the realism of the sculpture. It is cast in bronze with gilding, silvering and shakudo patination.
Japanese metalworkers producing work of this quality were originally employed in the decoration of Samurai swords; however during the Meiji period the swordmakers turned their skills to making purely decorative objects which explains the superb craftsmanship seen in some of these realistic Meiji sculptures.
There are several comparable models by Masatsune in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection