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Japanese cast iron cow okimono #1 by Saegusa Sotaro

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Japanese Metalwork48 of 137Japanese cast iron cow okimono #1 by Saegusa SotaroJapanese Tosa fighting dog okimono by Sotaro Saegusa
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    Posted 3 years ago

    kwqd
    (1176 items)

    This Japanese cast iron cow okimono by Saegusa Sotaro is 6.7" long x 3.75" high x 2.75" wide weighs 2.1 lbs. I cannot find a maker's mark on it, but the surface is pretty convoluted. Another example of this masterwork by SS was also not marked but came with a tomobako and documentation. They were probably not signed because they are masterworks. Mine is missing its tomobako and documentation. Until I found the boxed example, I did not know who made mine, but knew it was by an accomplished metal artist.

    My set was found at an antiques auction in Tajimi in Gifu, Japan. I think that there may be some gold gilt applied to the finish. This is one of a pair, from an auction seller in Japan. The pair was probably made to commemorate the Zodiac year of the Cow. This is the larger of the pair so probably the bull. I did a separate post for each cow since they are fairly complex. Age unknown.

    https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/298887-japanese-cast-iron-cow-okimono-1

    Note that the finish on these two cows is the same as on another unmarked piece in my collection by SS, which I suspect is also a masterwork.

    https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/311068-cast-iron-sotaro-saegusa-monkeys

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    Comments

    1. Newfld Newfld, 3 years ago
      Fabulous pair, they're wonderful
    2. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks for your comments, Jenni!

      Thanks for your comment, Eileen!

      Thanks for loving my cow okimono Alfie21, Thomas, Watchsearcher, Eileen, Kevin and Jenni!
    3. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thank you dav2no1 and blunderbuss2!
    4. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks fortapache and modfather!
    5. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks for loving my cow okimono aura!
    6. LaurenRedmond LaurenRedmond, 3 years ago
      Yes I can see, her certainly has a thicker build than the cow and dare I say it a 'bull-neck' XD so yes, I think he's the bull alright. Both their poses are very realistic and the lovely gold colour really suits them. Again, I imagine them in late 19th Century farmyard scenes...
    7. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks for your comments, LaurenRedmond!

      Thanks for loving my moo makers mikelv85 and LaurenRedmond!
    8. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thank you mikelv85!
    9. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks for loving my cow okimono Karen and Cisum! It really bugs me that I can't find who made it. I am trying to not have a cow!
    10. kwqd kwqd, 2 years ago
      I have finally been able to prove that this set is the work of Saegusa Sotaro. I had been leaning toward Keiten Takahashi as the artist but recently found an identical set in a signed wooden tomobako with documentation by Saegusa Sotaro. Based on that, I think my set are masterworks which lost their tomobako.

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