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JAPAN
Pair of mounted bowls
lacquer: 1680-1720, mounts: 1750-1775Wood decorated in black and gold lacquer, mounted in gilt bronze | 31.7 x 39.6 x 38.1 cm (whole object) | RCIN 3154
The lotus plants decorating the bowl on the left represent the seat of the meditating Buddha and signify enlightenment amid the swirling mist. Symbols of longevity on the right-hand bowl include cranes, evergreen pines and an ancient tortoise. Each bowl originally had wooden handles, which have been replaced by French gilt-bronze mounts depicting Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine and pleasure.
