Cast bronze statue, Urashima Taro - comments?

[runagmc]

Hi all,

I have a cast bronze statue of Urashima Taro (a character from a Japanese story), and I wonder if anyone can give any valuation, or any comments at all for that matter. The workmanship is good and the patina is nice. He is missing the fishing pole that would go in his left hand, unless I can find it somewhere . I was told this was aquired by my grandfather during his military service. Here are some pics...

 

I will be glad to add more, or answer questions if needed.

Thanks in advance...

 

Also, I found this somewhat similar example - http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/ ... d=&page=10

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning Adam,

 

There is a slight problem from the outset in that the rectangular signature cartouche is missing from the base of the Turtle's shell.

 

This would point with a fair degree of certainty to the maker.

 

From its dimensions it's likely to be a three character form as opposed to the square form cartouches which contain more elaborate signatures and honorifics.

 

For example, the foundry Genryusai Seiya sometimes referred to as part of the Tokyo School used both a rectangular three character cartouche (Seiya saku) and a more elaborate square form (Genryusai Seiya zo).

 

However as far as I know, they tended to cast the signature "in the metal" so to speak, not as an added cartouche.

 

It may have been that the cartouche was gilded and prised off at some point in the vain hope that it was actually Gold.

 

This may be an indicator.

 

Other Tokyo School makers were Kaniya Kuniharu and Hiromitsu

 

Perhaps contact either Christie's, Sotheby's or Bonhams U.S. as they have regular sales of Japanese Bronzes and may be able to recognise the actual pattern and pin it down to a maker.

 

You could also try posting it here:

 

http://www.asianart.com/phpforum/index.php

 

 

 

Cheers

[runagmc]

Thanks for taking your time to reply, Malcolm.

 

As far as the rectangular cut-out on the underside of the turtle: there is a long bronze (or some copper alloy) screw that passes through the cut-out, and through the hole on the top of the turtle, and finally screws into the plate soldered in the underside of the Urashima Taro casting... the screw is bent in such a way that it keeps the man from moving when mounted and screwed on.

 

Kind of hard to explain, but hopefully that made some sense.

 

Anyway, I dont know if the way it is now is original, or if it was originally something like you suggest...

 

Here is the underside of the man...

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning Adam,

 

I think that Ford would be the best person to ask about the internal fixings of multi part Bronzes.

 

I'll stick with the cartouche theory, because it would finish the piece off neatly as per the rest.

 

It's sometimes an indicator to see how the areas that don't show on a sculpture are finished.

 

Yours has detailing to the base of the Minogame Turtle's claws as well as the base of the shell .

 

Cheers

[Brian]

Think it's wonderful. Why didn't my grandfather think to acquire stuff like this

Sure you have the space at home to store it..don't want me to hang onto it for you?

 

Brian

[runagmc]

Hi Brian, Maybe I'll let you borrow it for display... :lol:

I like it too, I just wish I could find his fishing pole! But... like I said, it seems to be quite well done - being finished all over. What I mean is (as Malcolm suggests) there are no areas at all where the workmanship is lesser. There are even some inlays of other alloys - on the hat, and the turtles eyes.

 

I wonder if the "nanako type" punch work on much of the skin would have been done after casting, too? They look to be, but I don't know anything about cast statues. I DO know a little about traditional Japanese metalworking, having made some tools, and done some carving and nanako myself. I've even done uchidashi, and ended up with some decent menuki (IMO). Now, I need to learn Ford's secrets to awesome patina ...

 

Anyway, the reason I posted this here is I thought maybe some of our members (especially those living in Japan, or the East in general), might have seen enough similar items to have some idea about it's value and collectability... although, I probably would only sell it if it was a substantial amount, since it has some sentimental value for me.

 

Maybe, I'll try the site Malcolm suggested...