KIMURA TOUN (MURATA SEIMIN II): A LARGE TWO-PART SAHARI ‘TWIN DRAGONS’ USUBATA VASE

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KIMURA TOUN (MURATA SEIMIN II): A LARGE TWO-PART SAHARI ‘TWIN DRAGONS’ USUBATA VASE By Mutara Toun, signed Tounsai chu Japan, late 19th to early 20th century, Meiji (1868-1912) to Taisho period (1912-1926) Heavily cast, the flattened globular body, enclosing an internal cylindrical receptacle, raised on a waisted foot, fitted into a separately cast support modeled as turbulent waves scattered with small dew drops. The exterior of the vessel is decorated in high relief with oval medallions formed by swirling clouds enclosing pairs of stylized dragons coiled beside one another. The underside of the vessel TOUNSAI chu [cast by Tounsai]. WEIGHT 6,192 g (total) HEIGHT 19.2 cm, LENGTH 24.2 cm With the original wood storage box (tomobako), inscribed Sahari Usubata 砂張薄端、二二号 [Usubata-type flower vessel, made in sahari metal]. Kimura Toun, also known as Murata Seimin II, was a pupil of Murata Seimin I (1781–1837), his adoptive father and a distinguished master of highly refined bronze sculpture executed in the lost-wax technique. His works are represented in the Mesdag Collection in The Hague, Netherlands, and in the Musée Cernuschi in Paris, France. Sahari is a rare and highly resonant Japanese alloy composed primarily of copper and tin. It is valued for its distinctive acoustic properties and the depth and complexity of its patina. Historically, it has been employed in the casting of bells, gongs, and drums, particularly within Buddhist ritual contexts, as well as in tea ceremony implements, vases, and as an inlay material in sword making. Auction comparison: Compare a related bronze vessel with an en-suite stand in the form of a dragon, by the same artist, Meiji period, late 19th to early 20th century, 22.5 cm long, at Bonhams, Samurai, Beauties, and Townsmen, London, 18 May 2023, lot 124 (mid-estimate at GBP 5,500 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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