{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O100798"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O100798/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG3272/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG3272/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AG3272","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AG3271","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AG3270","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HP0194","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HP4742","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2015HP4743","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O100798/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O100798","accessionNumber":"FE.12:1 to 4-2003","objectType":"Figure","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Miyao Company of Yokohama, under its founder Miyao Eisuke, was a prolific producer of medium to large-scale patinated and gilded bronze ornamental sculptures. These works often depicted characters from Japanese legend and mythology and as such appealed both to the Japanese market, where the subject matter would be clearly understood, and the Western market where the sheer exoticism of the subject matter together with fine workmanship would appeal. \r\n\r\nThis large bronze figure depicts the legend wherein Benkei, the faithful retainer to Yoshitsune, the handsome 12th century Minamoto warrior, stole the Miidera Temple Bell - even though the bell weighed nearly half a ton. This is an excellent example of late nineteenth century casting and as such displays superb technical skills including the patination and decoration of copper-alloy in the traditions established earlier by the many schools of Japanese makers of sword-fittings, although in Miyao's works the details are invariably surface gilded rather than inlaid.","physicalDescription":"Bronze sculpture of Benkei holding up the Miidera bell.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Miyao","id":"A13004"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast and patinated bronze and copper-alloy with areas of gilding.","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[{"text":"Meiji","id":"AAT18567"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006AG3272","2006AG3271","2006AG3270","2015HP0194","2015HP4742","2015HP4743"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES394788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES394788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES394788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES394788"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure of Benkei holding the Miidera bell","id":""}],[{"text":"bell","id":""}],[{"text":"bell liner","id":""}],[{"text":"stand","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Yokohama","id":"x32223"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1887","earliest":"1887-01-01","latest":"1887-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"71.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"13.58","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Meiji Hinoto I kore o tsukuru; Miyao Sei","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Made this in the Pig year of Meiji, cast by Miyao","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Date equivalent to 1887; Miyao Eisuke of Yokohama. At the time of writing this is the only known dated piece by Miyao."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bronze sculpture of Benkei holding up the Miidera bell, Japan (Yokohama), 1887","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Benkei holding up the bell of the Miidera temple\r\nDated 1887\r\n\r\nThe Miyao Company of Yokohama was a prolific producer of ornamental cast-bronze sculptures. These often featured characters from Japanese legend or mythology, and appealed to both the domestic and western market. While subject matter of this kind may not have been understood outside Japan, its exoticism was much admired, as was the very high level of craftsmanship.\r\n\r\nSigned ‘Cast by Miyao in the pig year of Meiji [1887]’ for the Miyao Company\r\nYokohama\r\nGilded and patinated bronze\r\nMuseum no. FE.12-2003 \r\n","date":{"text":"04/11/2015","earliest":"2015-11-04","latest":"2015-11-04"}}],"partNumbers":["FE.12:1-2003","FE.12:2-2003","FE.12:3-2003","FE.12:4-2003"],"accessionNumberNum":"12","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":2003,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Figure of Benkei holding the Miidera bell","bell","bell liner","stand"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-15","recordCreationDate":"2004-06-14","availableToBook":true}}