Antique Japanese Bronze Utensil
Eagle Catching Snake
Page Turner / Letter Opener
Signed: Tenmin + Kakikan. Circa: early 20th Century
H 14.25 in. (36cm), W 1.75 in. (4.75cm), D 0.5 in. (1.75cm)
Condition: nicks on blade, overall excellent!
An exceptionally well-cast late Meiji period page-turner with alloys of Shakudo (赤銅) and gilt gold. The handle on one side features an intricately feathered soaring eagle flying over a waterfall in front of a rocky cliff seizing a gold snake in its stretched claw. On the opposing side, a relief of a gilded bamboo branch with two copper-tinted birds. An intricate artist's signature Tenmin 天民, plus a kakikan seal mark on a raised silver reserve to its right. The blade has a Sumi-style engraving of three chicks in an eagle nest on a swirling old pine. On the reverse side are two songbirds dancing in the bamboo grove over a wood-grained background. The superb scholar's utensil radiates a serene ambiance with intricate artistry and the natural patina of age.
Private Collection