NOGAWA : A FINE PARCEL-GILT AND INLAID BRONZE ‘CORMORANT FISHERMEN’ MOON FLASKBy the Nogawa company, signed with the Nogawa company markJapan, Meiji period (1868-1912)The flattened oval body rising from a rectangular splaying foot to a short neck with everted rim, decorated in copper, silver, gilt and shakudo takazogan and incised details with two roundels, one depicting a pair of cranes under a blossoming plum (ume) tree and the other with two cormorant fishermen on the Nagara River. Decorated with partly gilt leaves around the shoulder as well as incised and gilt clouds around the neck and foot. Incised NOGAWA company mark to the underside.HEIGHT 12 cm WEIGHT 298 gCondition: Very good condition with few minor traces of wear and tiny nicks here and there. Provenance: German private collection, assembled between 1965 and 1986.Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River is a 1,300-year-old tradition where fishing masters use Japanese cormorants to catch fish, primarily ayu (sweetfish), they use a fire attached to the front of the boat to attract the fish and hit the sides of the boat to keep the birds active.