MIYAO: A RARE GOLD-INLAID BRONZE OKIMONO OF A LADY WITH CATS

MIYAO: A RARE GOLD-INLAID BRONZE OKIMONO OF A LADY WITH CATS By Miyao Eisuke of Yokohama, signed Miyao zo Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) The lady standing atop the separately cast base in the form of a low table with intricate, dense relief designs, wearing a loose-fitting robe with wide sleeves, holding a cat in her arm, the hair arranged in an elaborate coiffure, a larger cat standing foursquare beside her with a rat caught in its mouth. Signed MIYAO zo to the robe. HEIGHT 21.5 cm WEIGHT 1,321 g Condition: Good condition with minor surface wear and minimal casting flaws. The food bowl held in the lady’s hands is lost. Provenance: French private collection. Auction comparison: Compare a related but smaller bronze figural group depicting a boy with a cat by the Miyao workshop at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 16 September 2014, New York, lot 2159 (sold for 3,125 USD).