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Subject:Japanese bronze
Posted By: Gerald Tue, Mar 17, 2015 IP: 99.110.238.241

Can anyone tell me what the writing is on the vessel any help will be greatly appreciated.







Subject:Re: Japanese bronze
Posted By: Guy Wed, Mar 18, 2015

Meiji period quality bronze okimono of a kneeling Gamma Sennin holding a large bell (?) with gilt decoration.
Could not decipher the mark from the picture that is a bit blurred.

A similar but unsigned object was sold at Bonhams in 2013.

Guy

URL Title :Bonhams


Subject:Re: Japanese bronze
Posted By: Bill H Thu, Mar 19, 2015

The kanji markings except one character seem to be as follows:

登錄, 商漂
平安, 龍(?)

The first line consists of the outside stacks, which can be translated as "Recorded Trademark". In the second line are two stacks from the middle of the mark, the first one being the name for the Heian Period (794-1159), while the second stack begins with the character for Dragon. The last character defied efforts to identify it with any certainty, though the two central stacks most likely represent the actual trademarked term. I checked a list of Heian rulers and couldn't find one with an initial dragon character. Perhaps one of our Japanese scholars can fill in the blank and do a proper translation and transcription of the spoken Japanese.

Regarding Japanese trademarks, the first Japanese Patent law was passed in 1871 but suspended the next year due to the confusion it generated. Another law finally enabled the opening of a patent office and further development of the system after 1880. This office issued numbered monopoly patents for awhile after that time, at least for Japanese "sharkskin" or Coralene type ceramics I've collected. It may be that your casting was produced around the 1880s when Japan was still getting its patent act together.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Japanese bronze
Posted By: Gerald Thu, Mar 19, 2015

Added new pictures these are clearer if anyone anyone can translate would be much appreciated thanks.







Subject:Re: Japanese bronze
Posted By: Guy Fri, Mar 20, 2015

The first line is reads indeed 'Tôrokushôhyô' or Registered Trademark.
(--> ô or û must be pronounced as a long 'oo' and 'uu')

The name of the artist is 平安龍禰 which is probably pronounced as Hirayasu Ryûne.

BTW: Sennin is holding a 'kinsu' or Japanese buddhist temple bell. It seems that Hirayasu Ryûne is for sure the maker of the 'kinsu'; I encountered similar bronze bells at auction sites bearing the same mark.
However, I'm not sure if the okimono of Sennin came from the same workshop. Is there a second signature on the base of the statue?

Guy.


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