With the days beginning to get a little shorter and Summer already starting to feel like a distant memory, we thought it appropriate that our featured Work of Art for the month of September would be a subject that, in Japan, represents the changing of the seasons and the transition from Summer to Autumn. (As always with our articles, you can click on any of the images below to take a closer look.)
From our collection of Japanese Meiji-era metalwork, this pair of Bronze Geese are a fine example of late 19th Century fine craftsmanship and they bare the mark of the renowned Maruki Company of Tokyo.
Like many creatures in Japan, Geese (or “Gan”) carry a lot of symbolism. Typically mating for life, pairs of Geese either swimming or flying together have come to represent marital harmony. Whilst flying in formation or in front of a full Moon is a sign of the coming of Autumn.
Geese would often be found near rice-fields during the gathering of crops, feeding on husks left behind by the farmers and as such, they were seen by some as a popular and welcome indication of a bountiful harvest.
Although the reign of Emperor Meiji (1868-1912) was a period of incredible creativity, manufacture and international trade for Japan, it wasn’t such a great time for the Geese that inhabited the islands.
A stunning Bronze Jardiniere comprised of a gaggle of 12 Geese
Prior to Meiji’s ascension, it was illegal to shoot Geese and so they were only hunted with nets and traps. The ban was lifted though and they were hunted relentlessly seeing their population dwindle dramatically over the coming decades.
A flock of Geese flying in formation on a pair of vases signed Chomin
Since the dawn of the 21st Century though the population has been thriving again thanks to intervention from Conservation Groups and Government.
Active during the Meiji Period, the Maruki Company were based in Nihonbashi ward in Tokyo. They stand out for the quality of their Okimono and are renowned for producing fine quality Bronzes of animals. They would go on to exhibit at many Japanese and International exhibitions at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th Century.
A pair of Bronze Chickens by the Maruki Company (Circa 1880)
You can browse through our online collection of Okimono by clicking here.
We hope you found this article interesting. For more stories inspired by our collection of Chinese and Japanese Fine Art and Antiques, please click here.
