A LARGE BRONZE OKIMONO OF A HAWK BY THE MARUKI COMPANY

A LARGE BRONZE OKIMONO OF A HAWK BY THE MARUKI COMPANY

MEIJI PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY

The bird of prey naturalistically rendered, perched on a gnarly piece of wood with its head slightly turned to the side, finely cast with details in shakudo and the pupils in gilt, signed in a square reserve underneath the tail feathers Nihon kuni Maruki sei, 53.3cm. (2)

Provenance: from the collection of the late Hubert René Joseph Georges Faure (1919-2020). Hubert Faure was the first husband of Elizabeth (Bessie) de Cuevas, who married when she was nineteen. Bessie was the daughter of Margaret Rockefeller, granddaughter of John D Rockefeller. A bronze bird entitled Poule Cayenne by François Pompon (1855-1933) from the same collection was sold at Christie's Paris on 14th April 2021, lot 184. See lot 358 in this sale for another piece from the same collection.

The Maruki Works Art Factory was one of the most renowned bronze studios during the Meiji period. Located in Tokyo, the studios employed many of Japan's finest artists.