A PAIR OF JAPANESE BRONZE AND MIXED METAL FOUR PIECE USABATAS, MEIJI PERIOD, LATE 19TH CENTURY, in cast bronze, the top fitted with a wide lipped dish with sleeve, the top inlaid with a gilt bird and silver bamboo plants, the outer rim with addorsed silver carp centering copper crescents, attaching to the ovoid vase-form body, the shaped lip inlaid with gilt clouds over shaped recessed panels to the front with a pair of addorsed inlaid silver stylized dragons with gilt flame and moon centering a gilt relief foo dog on diaper pattern ground, and to the back a bird perched on a limb with flower buds, leaves, and butterflies in silver, copper, and gilt inlay, the recessed panels outlined with silver, with disc form base inlaid with a silver and copper meander pattern over sleeve, the sides with removable cast stylized phoenix form handles, attaching to the burner compartment with stamped rosette band over inlaid silver foliate scrolls to the sides the stepped base with silver inlaid meander pattern band and closed end sleeve, attaching to a tripartite base with lobed nozzle inlaid with copper, silver, and gilt auspicious symbols, raised on a three gilt eyed demonic mask feet with scrolled end, raised on spreading plinth with a band of copper and silver inlaid turtles at the rim and rocks, carp, and aquatic flora at the center, with silver inlaid meander band over etched diaper pattern band. Height: 15 3/8" Diameter: 8 1/2" NOTE: "John Melmoth Dow was a shipmaster, shipping agent and naturalist. Born in New York City in 1827, he joined the Panama Railroad Company. He made his first voyage to the Central American coast in 1851, and remained involved with Central and South American coastal trade as a ship captain until 1876. He was appointed commander of the steamer Constitution in 1853, and opened the Central American service of the Panama Railroad Company as commander of the steamer Colombus. He later became a shipping agent for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. During his years as a shipping agent, Dow was captured and held hostage by revolutionist Pedro Prest án in 1885. He was arbitrator in the dispute between the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interocéanique and the American Contracting and Dredging Company in their attempt to build the French Canal in Panama. Dow died in New York City in 1892." Provenance: Collection of Captain John Melmoth Dow.