Antique Japanese Imari Punch Bowl with Gilded Bronze Handles

• Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.
  
  For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.
  
  Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
• Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
• Edo Period, Japan - The Edo period in Japan lasted from 1603 to 1868. During this time, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, a military government led by the Tokugawa family. The Edo period is characterized by a period of relative peace, stability, and economic growth, as well as by the development of a distinctive culture and society.
  
  During the Edo period, the capital of Japan was moved from Kyoto to Edo (modern-day Tokyo), and the country became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. The shogunate implemented strict policies to maintain control, including the restriction of foreign trade and travel. However, despite this isolation, the Edo period saw significant cultural and artistic development, including the emergence of the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition, the growth of Kabuki theater, and the flourishing of a vibrant merchant culture.
  
  The Edo period ended with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which saw the collapse of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule.
• Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
  
  The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
  
  It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Japanese ceramics, styles and decoration - Imari, bowls 106
• Satsuma (Japan), item type - bowls 565