Please read before bidding: Shipping method: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation. --- 慶州 Keishu — Japanese Metal Engraving Panel, Five Red-Crowned Cranes on a Golden Ground, Signed with Seal This exquisite Japanese chokin (metal engraving) panel depicts five red-crowned cranes (tanchou-zuru) rendered in remarkable detail against a lustrous golden ground. The cranes are brought to life through the traditional Japanese takumi-bori (high-relief metalwork) and uchidashi (repoussé hammering) techniques, whereby the metal plate is worked from both front and back to produce striking three-dimensional relief. The fine feather markings, graceful postures, and individually characterised expressions of each bird testify to a skilled hand fully in command of the chisel (tagane). The background shimmers with a delicate nashiji-like texture — a fine-grained golden surface that recalls the gold dust decoration found in the finest Japanese lacquerware. The composition draws on centuries of Japanese bird-and-flower (kachou-ga) painting tradition, presenting the cranes in varying postures: one calling with open beak, others gathered in a serene grouping, their black-tipped wings and vivid crimson crowns forming a striking contrast against the warm metallic ground. The red-crowned crane (tanchou-zuru) holds a place of special significance in Japanese culture. Known by the proverb "Tsuru wa sennen — a crane lives a thousand years," it is among the most celebrated auspicious symbols (kichou) in East Asian art and culture, embodying longevity, fidelity, and good fortune. It has graced Japanese paintings, textiles, lacquerware, and metalwork for centuries, and remains one of the most beloved motifs in traditional decorative arts. A work featuring five cranes carries particular festive and celebratory meaning. The reverse of the panel reveals the characteristic undulating marks of the repoussé process, confirming the hand-worked nature of this piece. The work is signed in the lower right of the front face with the artist's seal reading "Keishu" (慶州), and accompanied by an additional impressed square seal. A wooden backing board is included, suitable for mounting in a frame of the buyer's choice. This panel makes a distinguished decorative piece for any interior: elegant, culturally resonant, and entirely handcrafted in the Japanese metalworking tradition. Includes: wooden backing board --- Size Height: 25 cm Width: 32 cm Thickness: approx. 0.1–0.2 cm (metal panel only) --- Weight Total weight (panel + wooden board): approx. 840 g --- Condition Good condition overall: no significant damage is present, though there are some age-related surface marks, minor scuffs, and light soiling consistent with vintage storage. --- Artist Profile This work bears the artist's seal reading "Keishu" (慶州), together with an impressed square seal. "Keishu" appears to be an artist's go (studio name or pen name) used in the tradition of Japanese craftsmen and painters. Despite research, we were unable to confirm detailed biographical information for this individual. We recommend independent verification by interested buyers. The quality of the work — the precision of the relief carving, the refinement of the surface, and the confident composition — is consistent with a skilled professional Japanese metalwork artist. --- My Message Thank you for viewing my item. I run a recycle shop in Japan, and I joined Catawiki because I want to share wonderful items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with people around the world. If you have any questions about the item, please feel free to message me at any time. With gratitude — ARIGATO --- Shipping method: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.