Of elegant bottle form, with a rounded ovoid body rising to a long slender neck, worked in fine silver wire and decorated with a large sinuous three-clawed dragon coiling around the body and shoulder, its serpentine form finely rendered with individually delineated cream-coloured scales and a pale-blue segmented underbelly, the expressive head detailed with grey-green horns, prominent yellow eyes, open jaws and fangs, long trailing whiskers and a bushy mane, the dragon entwined amongst scrolling iron-red flames.
The decoration is reserved against a lustrous deep black enamel ground, densely and evenly flecked throughout with minute gold aventurine-like inclusions, creating a subtle shimmering effect across the surface. The spreading foot is encircled by a narrow band of stylised polychrome ornament.
The mouth mounted with a metal rim. The underside with a metal base plate impressed with the signature of Hayashi Yojiro of Nagoya.
Height: 23 cm
Condition: In good condition, with minor surface wear commensurate with age. No losses to the enamel.
