Description † A PAIR OF SUPERB GOLD-INLAID BRONZE 'MYTHICAL BEASTS' KORO (INCENSE BURNERS) AND COVERSJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)Finely decorated in gold, silver, and shakudo takazogan, each censer of compressed globular form, inlaid to one side with a winged mythical beast chasing a ribboned vase and to the other with a ribboned vase flanked by a fan and a reishi cloud, the shoulder applied with baku-form handles suspending loose gold rings, the domed cover decorated with gold-inlaid swirling clouds above a lappet border and surmounted by a baying kirin, raised on three elongated legs encircled by three-clawed dragons and centered by a gold tama, above an elaborately cast and openworked tiered hexagonal base.HEIGHT 38 cm and 37.5 cmWEIGHT 2,802 and 2,816 gCondition: Very good condition with minor wear and few minuscule nicks.The present koro depicts three of the most iconic Japanese mythical creatures. Dragons are hugely significant in Asian culture. Known as the Ryu or Tatsu in Japan, they are closely related to the Chinese Long and Korean Yong. The Japanese dragons rarely fly and usually reside in or near the sea and other bodies of water. Japanese dragons have positive symbolism. They are good and represent wisdom and generosity, and they are portrayed as using their powers to help mankind. The baku is a mythical Japanese chimeric creature which loosely resembles an elephant; it is said they eat nightmares and protect from pestilence and evil. The kirin (Qilin in Chinese) is a mythical chimerical creature common in artworks and legends across most of East Asia, it is believed to have originated in China around the 5th century BC. The Japanese kirin resembles a deer with long slender legs and horns; it is said that they are peaceful creatures with great power, they are able to walk on grass without disturbing a single blade, and they only appear at times when there is peace in the world. When the giraffe was first brought to Japan it greatly resembled the kirin and so the Japanese word for giraffe is kirin.