By Oshima Yasutaro (Shokaken), signed Shokaken chu kore Japan, Meiji period (1615-1868) The bronze incense burner standing with five curved feet in the shape of ho-o birds (phoenixes) on a circular base worked in high relief with takaramono (lucky objects). The body is very finely worked with horizontal bands of geometric motifs and shippo-tsunagi (linked-cash), as well as birds and flowers and a large ebi (lobster) and various other fish. The two curved handles are formed as mythical beast heads. The open-worked cover with a finial in the shape of a woman drying a cloth on a rack. The underside of the body with the signature SHOKAKEN chu kore, with kao [This is cast by Shokaken].This quite exceptional bronze marries a variety of Japanese folkloric themes, Chinese motifs, as well as scenes from nature.HEIGHT 50 cmWEIGHT 7.5 kgCondition: Very good condition with minor associated surface wear, including some tiny nicks and dents. The arm of the woman is re-attached. The objects presents extremely well.Provenance: Danish private collection.Oshima Yasutaro (artist name: Shokaken) was born to a prominent family of metalworkers in 1849 and was a son of Oshima Takajiro. Together with his younger brother Oshima Joun (1858–1940), he successfully ran a studio called Sanseisha and produced bronzes of the finest quality. In Recollections of Oshima Joun, by Katori Hozuma published in 1941 by Tokyo Chukin-kai (Tokyo Cast Metalwork Association), he talked of his older brother who died young as being of the first rank of bronze metalwork artists in 1878, producing works of the very highest quality and commissioned for the world exhibitions. Shokaken indeed exhibited his works at numerous international expositions, including a metalwork incense burner at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873, which is now housed in the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts and Contemporary Art, Vienna. (Illustrated in Arts of East and West from World Expositions 1855-1900: Paris, Vienna and Chicago (Commemorating the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan), (Osaka, 2004), p. 20, plate l-16).Auction comparison:For a closely related koro by Shokaken see Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 12 November 2015, London, lot 300 (bought in at an estimate of 4,000-6,000 GBP).