A LARGE KORO IN DARK-PATINATED BRONZE, Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)

h cm 55

The censer is composed of three parts. The circular base is richly decorated in the round with flowering branches and a dragon coiled around the edge. The central body echoes the decoration of the base, with handles modeled as pine branches and a central scene depicting an eagle grasping a small monkey with its talons; on the opposite side, birds are shown in flight. The lid features a pierced border with swastikas and a realistic modeling in the form of a flowering tree. The central part bears a signature on the underside.