Bidspirit auction | Pair Of Japanese Meiji Bronze

Pair Of Japanese Meiji Bronze Straw-Sheaf Vases Signed Yoshikiyo - A striking pair of Japanese bronze vases, signed Yoshikiyo, modeled as bundled sheaves of straw or reeds, each vessel rising from a compressed foot into a softly swelling body and narrowing neck, the entire surface worked in dense vertical striations to imitate gathered plant fibre. Decorated with small birds perched among reeds, bending grasses, rice stalks, tied cords, and rustic field implements arranged across the surface. The flared upper rims are treated like cut bundles, with individually articulated reed ends forming a textured crown, while the tied cords around the necks and bases reinforce the illusion that the bronze has been transformed into straw. The dark patina gives the pair a subdued, atmospheric presence, allowing the relief details to emerge gradually under light. These vases belong to the highly admired Japanese Meiji-period bronze tradition, where metalworkers elevated technical realism into poetic object-making. Dimensions: 12 inches H x 5 W.