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JAPAN
Pair of vases mounted as lamps
c. 1880-1900Bronze, copper alloy, silver, shakudō, partly gilded and patinated | 43.5 x 23.5 x 17.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 7322
Morning glory plants bloom for only a short period each day. Their appearance on these vases alludes to this brief blossoming, suggesting the beginnings of autumnal decay. Each has been delicately patinated and given stems of shakudō (a copper and gold alloy), gilded blooms and mottled silver leaves.
