AN UNUSUAL BRONZE VASE


Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th centuryOf cast and chiseled bronze with gold, shakudo, shibuichi, and copper, modeled as a decaying lotus leaf, the texture of the surface well rendered, the stalk forming the base, embellished with the decaying leaves, stems, and flowers of another plant from which the head of a snake emerges, its tongue extended 9 3/4in (27.3cm) high