Dish; Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century.

Dish; Japan, Meiji period, late 19th century.
Mixed metals.
With mark.
INOUE Kyoto workshop.
Measurements: 31,5 cm (diameter).

This Japanese dish from the Meiji period (1868-1912), made of bronze inlaid with mixed metals such as gold, silver, shakud? and copper, is an outstanding work of the Inoue workshop in Kyoto, one of the most prestigious of its time. The piece, signed "Inoue-zo" features finely executed decoration using traditional hira-zogan and taka-zogan techniques, depicting a scene with great aesthetic delicacy and compositional balance.

Similar examples from this workshop have been documented in international collections and auctions, and are prized for both their artistic value and historical significance. This dish embodies the technical and cultural refinement of Japanese decorative arts during a period of openness and innovation, and is a remarkable testimony to the dialogue between tradition and modernity that characterized Meiji art.