Japanese bronze okimono jizai playful dog with articulated bell. Approx 7x5cm

This is from the Meiji period (1868-1912) Jizai Okimono are highly collectable, realistic, articulated figures of insects, birds, reptile, sea creatures and mythical beasts.

During the reign of Emperor Meiji, and as Japan became unified and more peaceful, the demand for armor and weaponry greatly diminished. Eventually the wearing of swords was banned entirely. It is thought that armor makers, no longer required to make weaponry, turned their attention to making other, more decorative items called Okimono. One of the most skilled and highly sought after forms of Okimono was “Jizai” – which means to move at will. These days, we call these objects “articulated.”