A pair of abstracted foxes, sitting at their haunches, tails curled around their feet, their heads turned upwards, gazing at the moon. Cast bronze, patinated brown and with roughened/silky-grainy surface.
Each fox signed on the bottom ‘Kozan’ in archaic script. Japan, mid 20th century.
Comes with the original tomobako storage box; the cover inscribed on the outside ‘tsuki miru kitsune’ (foxes looking at the moon) and stamped ‘seido sei’ (made of bronze); the cover signed on the inside ‘Kozan saku’, and sealed ‘Kozan’.
Height 10 and 10 1/8 inches (25.2 and 25.8 cm).
A few tiny dents at the bottom edge of one of the foxes, otherwise excellent condition.
The signature Kozan belongs to the artist Sakai Kozan, who was active in Takaoka during the Showa period, mid to late 20th century. The Sakai bronze manufacture is still active today.
