By Genryusai Seiya, signed Seiya saku Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Naturalistically cast and looking forwards with silver-rimmed eyes, the details of plumage carefully rendered in kebori with legs and beak plated in gilt, the head in red-patinated bronze and the long tail highlighted with shibuichi, standing on an original hardwood base signed beneath the tail in a rectangular cartouche SEIYA saku (made by). Genryusai Seiya was a master craftsman in charge of a workshop specializing in export wares of the highest quality. Production included human genre figures, vases and exotic bronze models of animals probably influenced by the opening of Tokyo Zoological Gardens in 1882. The present piece is quite unusual as Seiya usually worked in black patinated bronze and only very rarely with silver. HEIGHT 23.2 cm WEIGHT without base 2.6 kg Condition: Excellent condition with only few minor traces of wear. Provenance: British collection. Auction comparison: Compare with a near-identical okimono sold by Bonhams, Meiji Modern Design, 11 June 2013, London, lot 476 (sold for 15,535 GBP).