Numerous bidders competed for this 5½in (14cm) high Japanese incense burner from the Meiji period (1868-1912) at a sale held by Hargesheimer (25% buyer’s premium) in Dusseldorf on March 10-11.
The sides of the bronze vessel were covered with a myriad of gilt and silver cranes in relief, on the cover were more of the majestic birds in flight, while the handle was shaped as a crane perching on the stump of a tree.
The tsuru, as the crane is called in Japanese, is revered as a symbol of good luck and longevity. Legend has it that cranes can live for a thousand years.