A crane-neck bud vase, cast in bronze, made for the quiet discipline of ikebana. Tsuru-kubi — named for the long taper of a crane's neck. The form is centuries old, refined by generations of practitioners who understood that a single stem, well placed, says more than a full arrangement. The proportions here are exact: a slow rise through the throat, a generous teardrop body, a tight foot ring. The opening is one centimeter — wide enough for a branch, narrow enough to insist on restraint. One stem of cherry in spring. One peony in summer. One branch of anything worth looking at.
Origin: Found at a flea market in New York. Mid-twentieth century, unsigned — as most Japanese bronze of this era was. The form does the talking.
Condition: Original patina intact and undisturbed. Deep brown with reddish undertones, exactly what bronze should look like when it has been left alone. Subtle vertical fluting through the body.
Dimensions: ~ 9.5" H, widest point is 3.5", mouth is .4" — single stem
