HAYASHI HARUSADA: A MONUMENTAL (177 CM) PARCEL-GILT BRONZE ‘AUSPICIOUS ANIMALS’ EXHIBITION KORO (INCENSE BURNER)

By Hayashi Harusada, signed Dai Nihon Imono-shi, Hayashi Harusada zo kore
Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912)

Superbly executed and composed of multiple separately cast elements, embellished with rich gilt. The koro features a large globular body supported on three elongated legs issuing from the jaws of fierce dragon heads and terminating on a rugged rocky outcrop, upon which stands a finely rendered pheasant. The entire composition is further raised on a circular base formed of multiple curling legs in the form of winged mythical beasts.

From either side of the body suspend chains composed of foliate-shaped openwork medallions, decorated with auspicious Chinese characters and animal motifs. The vessel is surmounted by a domed cover crowned with a finial in the form of a flaming jewel, above which rises an imposing peacock, its elegantly sweeping tail cascading to one side of the composition.

The exterior of the body is richly ornamented in high relief with shaped panels depicting various auspicious animals, highlighted with gilt details and interspersed with key-fret patterns, wave motifs, and floral designs. The rocky outcrop bears an incised signature within a square reserve reading Dai Nihon Imono-shi HAYASHI HARUSADA zo kore [made by Hayashi Harusada, metal artist, Great Japan].

HEIGHT 177 cm (total)
WEIGHT 120 kg (total)

Provenance: Bonhams, Japanese and other Asian Works of Art, London, 23 May 2006, lot 27, (sold for GBP 20,400 or approx. EUR 41,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). A private collection in Italy, acquired from the above. Note the size was incorrectly stated at Bonhams as 115 cm high, instead of the correct 177 cm.
Condition: Excellent condition with only minor surface wear, expected casting-inherent irregularities, and minimal traces of use. Presenting superbly.

With the restoration of Emperor Meiji and the opening of Japan to international trade, the country began to participate actively in world’s fairs and international exhibitions across Europe and beyond, promoting the excellence of its artistic and industrial production. Following the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, such events were held at regular intervals in major cities worldwide and played a crucial role politically and culturally, fostering trade, strengthening international relations, and showcasing technical innovation and artistic achievement.

Among the most celebrated categories of export art were large-scale bronze works, particularly monumental koro (incense burners), conceived as complex, multi-part compositions intended to impress both technically and visually. Leading metalworkers such as Suzuki Chokichi and Suzuki Masayoshi are well documented as having produced such works for exhibition at international expositions.

Although comparatively little is recorded about Hayashi Harusada, the existence of monumental and technically ambitious works bearing his signature strongly indicates that he operated within this same sphere of high-level metal production. In particular, the monumental koro preserved in the Nasser D. Khalili Collections (acc. no. MX 66), measuring over four metres in height, provides compelling evidence of a workshop capable of producing objects on a scale consistent with international exhibition display.

Works of this magnitude - characterized by their exceptional size, complex casting, and elaborate decorative programs - are unlikely to have been intended for domestic use and instead align closely with the exhibition pieces produced by the foremost artists of the period. The present koro, remarkable for both their scale and refinement, should therefore be understood within this broader context of Meiji-period exhibition art.

Such monumental bronze censers attracted considerable attention from Western collectors and dealers, among them Siegfried Bing, who played a key role in introducing Japanese art to Europe. In 1881, Bing sold an important Japanese koro to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the substantial sum of £1,586, an acquisition of such significance that it required special authorization from the British Treasury.

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