Welcome to my auction - Up for your consideration is this signed, antique Japanese Meiji era
(1868-1912), bronze sculpture created in the traditional lost-wax
casting technique. It features a male elephant standing majestically
with head slightly tilted. It is beautifully cast and sculpted with
naturalistic details as seen in the piercing eyes, folds of the
leathery skin, tusks (1 missing), even the bottoms of the feet.
Signed with a raised cartouche on the underside:
誠谷作 Seiya saku “Work of Seiya”, full name Genryūsai Seiya (源龍斎誠谷) master metalworker of a prominent studio specializing in high quality wares for export. It is suggested that his sculptures of animals were probably influenced by the opening of Tokyo Zoological Gardens in 1882.
CONDITION - The bronze is in fine, antique, pre-owned condition! Original estate found patina (I have not cleaned it) showing some normal age/use wear with age spotting noticed on ears, a few light/greenish spotting, missing 1 tusk. Please see photos as part of description and condition.
SIZE - It stands approximately 8 3/4" tall to top of head, 12" long tip of trunk to back hind leg, 5" wide across ears, weighs over 6 pounds.