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Mid-Shōwa Cast Bronze “Red-Haired Child” Figure, Japan

This “Red-Haired Child” figure from the mid-Shōwa period in Japan is cast in bronze and then hand-painted with coloured lacquer. It is not especially large, yet has a very marked presence. The child sits cross-legged on the ground, body leaning slightly forward, hands folded on the knees, as if quietly listening to someone speak. The facial lines are round and soft, the gaze calm, and a faint hint of a smile plays at the corners of the mouth; the overall expression feels gentle, serene and slightly childlike. Most eye-catching is the long, vivid red hair falling from the crown to the shoulders and back; the strands are rendered with incised lines layered with coloured lacquer, showing fine, three-dimensional ridges one after another. Over time the red paint has naturally flaked and changed colour in places, so the hair is no longer a single bright red but carries uneven, aged tones — which give it all the more of the particular character of an old piece.

Price NT$ 1,500 ≈ US$ 47(Approximate amount; actual prices are in New Taiwan Dollars)

Dimensions: L 17 × W 17 × H 20 cm
Category: Decorative Objects

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Features

Cast in bronze in the mid-Shōwa period, with a strong sense of age

Cast in a copper alloy, solid in weight, with clear oxidation and signs of age on the surface, so that one feels both the craft of the Shōwa period and the quality that time accumulates.

A red-haired child figure, an uncommon subject

Traditional child figures are usually shown with black or golden hair; long red hair together with a gentle expression is less often seen, which gives the piece recognisability and interest for a collector.

A finely modelled floral pattern on the kimono

The flowers on the kimono are rendered in relief and then overlaid with coloured lacquer; close up one can see the texture and the layers of colour, showing carving and colouring of no ordinary quality.

Natural flaking of the lacquer and oxidation strengthen the vintage atmosphere

The coloured lacquer has flaked away naturally on the hair, the folds of the robe and the edges, and with the spots of metal oxidation the whole has a mellow old look rather than the hardness of a new piece — for collectors who love antiques, a point in its favour.

A gentle, quiet expression, suited to long display and contemplation

The child's expression is settled, neither exaggerated nor showy; standing in a room it gives a feeling of quiet watchfulness, and it serves well as a steadier of mood in a home or a studio.

Specifications

Dimensions	L 17 × W 17 × H 20 cm