Meiji Bronze Gu-Form Vase, Japan, Meiji Era

This bronze vase takes the classic gu form, its trumpet mouth flaring wide above a bulging mid section and a matching flared foot. Cast in bronze with a warm, dark patina, the silhouette references archaic Chinese ritual vessels reinterpreted for Meiji era Japanese bronze work. It brings an assured, sculptural presence to a mantel or console.