Exhibition koro, c.1873 (bronze)

With dark green-brown patination and formed from several different components comprising a cover in the form of monkeys cowering underneath a large rock on which is perched an eagle with its wings outspread, an ovoid body with two lobed panels depicting on one side Chinese figures including the three heroes of the Chinese tale Sangokushi, (in Chinese, Sanguozhi), Kan'u, Chohi and Gentoku (Guanyu, Zhangfei and Xuande), and on the other shishi with rocks and peonies, the panels with a border of fine low-relief ornament, the rest of the surface of the body with scattered floral ornament, the top border of the body and the border of the lid with phoenix and dragon medallions, the body applied with two handles in the form of dragons and resting on a domed base with lappet ornament supported on an openwork fruiting branch of peach, this in turn supported on a circular stand with six lappet-shaped feet resting on the circular base which is worked in the centre between the six legs with rocks and shishi, the lower border of the base with lappet ornament, signed in cast characters in a rectangular cartouche underneath the body Tokyo no ju Suzuki Masayoshi zo [made by Suzuki Masayoshi of Tokyo], the whole resting on a specially manufactured wood plinth decorated with porcelain plaques bearing the crest of the owners (see below) 75in. (190cm.) high without wood plinth; wood plinth 20in. (50cm.) high