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Hello -- I am looking to learn more about the tray in the attached pictures. It is 15 inches long, roughly 6.5" wide and appears to be made of bronze (non-magnetic). There is a mark on the bottom with Chinese characters -- see pictures. Any help on what time period this tray is from, its maker, and its function is greatly appreciated!! Please let me know if more or better pictures are needed. Thank you!!

IMO, this could well be a Japanese period bronze jardinère (suiban). The (fake) Chinese reign mark on the bottom reads 大明宜徳 (Daming xuande) but I'm not sure how to pronounce it in Japanese.

Date could be late Edo period. I'd like to hear additional opinions.

Guy.

One German-language auction listing (link below) came up in response to a Google query using "Dai Ming Sentoku" as transliteration for the mark. The only other relevant hit was the use of "Sentoku" for Xuande in the book "Porcelain", 1904, by Edward Dillon, M.A. There were no hits for the other transliteration, "Nobunori".

https://lot-tissimo.com/de/i/7928023/raeuchergefaess-japan-19-jh-bronze-mit-email-champleve-dai-ming-sentoku-marke-xuande-imitierend

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank you very much Guy for your insights on this piece!! Any additional opinions are greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Alicia

I also believe this to be a Japanese suiban, or perhaps a tray for forcing flower bulbs.

The photos are pretty dark, and other than the shell, it is quite difficult to make out the various forms which decorate the sides, which I assume would be related to the ocean. To me, the background wave motif, and the shape of the item suggest Japanese manufacture rather than Chinese.

I think the late Edo period dating seems plausible as well.

Please, don't try to clean it or polish it!

Cheers
Gman

Thanks to Bill H. and Gman for providing the additional information! I have attached a close up of the tray with use of a flash (The tray is very dark in natural light). There are continuous circular, wave-like patterns that decorate the sides, and the 4 feet that support the base are shells.

I found another, nearly identical suiban, but with traces of different wear at the inside. So, this seems to be a second ikebana container, casted from wwcthe same original mould.

I'm still not sure about the exact dating of such Japanse bronzes with a Chinese reign mark.
My guess is that the could be as early as the first half of the 19th century (late Edo era), in analogy with Japanese export porcelain from that period, also bearing similar Chinese dynasty marks. So, not Meiji or Taisho period, but earlier.

Guy.


URL Title :Antique Japanese Bronze Suiban with Shells

Thanks again Guy -- This is an excellent find. The link you provided that shows the other suiban is incredibly similar!! The only (very subtle) difference I could see is the angle of the sides against the base. The tray I have appears to have sharper interior edges. Either way, it must be from the same mold. Best regards, Alicia

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