Japanese bronze Samurai warrior advancing with a katana, signed Gyoko 暁光, Meiji Period

Japanese bronze Samurai warrior advancing with a katana, wearing an ornate robe richly decorated with mons (clan crest), signed in a rectangular reserve Gyoko 暁光, Meiji Period.

The artist Akasofu Gyoko 赤祖父暁光 (given name Sotojiro) lived in Tokyo producing from his workshop cast metalwork sculptures and was a member of the Tokyo Cast Metalworkers' Association (Tokyo Chokinkay) active in the second half of the Meiji Era. He produced birds of prey and also large-scale models of samurai warriors like this piece.

Reference: Splendors of Imperial Japan: Arts of the Meiji Period from the Khalili Collection , J. Earle, London, 2002, no. 93, 223-224.

Meiji no Takara : Treasures of Imperial Japan-The Nasser D. Khalili Collection, Metalwork Part II no. 110, The Kibo Foundation 1995."

Height of Samurai without wood base H 42.5 cm (16.75" in)