Bronze Koro in the Form of a Ram by Tadashi WATANABE

A bronze koro cast in the form of a standing ram, the body raised on four sturdy legs and the head turned gently to one side, with tightly curled horns rendered in fine ridged detail and a smooth, slightly parted muzzle. The recumbent tail curls against the haunch. The back of the animal forms a shallow, gently domed lid fitted with a small pierced lug for lifting and a cluster of perforations to allow the escape of incense smoke, the lid lifting free of the body to reveal the interior cavity. The surface is covered overall in a dark, mottled malachite-green patina with lighter verdigris accents at the raised planes of the shoulders and haunches, consistent with age and handling. Signed "Tadashi" on the underside of the belly. No tomobako.

Watanabe Tadashi (1923-2009) was a bronze artist born in Tokyo, working in cast bronze including the lost wax technique. He first exhibited at the Nitten in 1952 and went on to show regularly at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten, becoming a member of the Nihon Kogeikai. He received the Nihon Kogeikai Chairman's Award at the 16th Nihon Dento Kogeiten in 1969, and the Tokyo Governor's Award at the 28th Nihon Dento Kogeiten in 1981. He was decorated with the Medal with Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, Fourth Class, in recognition of his contribution to Japanese metalwork.

Compare: National Crafts Museum, Tokyo/Kanazawa (MOMAT), which holds a bronze vase by the artist dated 1969.