Lot description

Property of Various Owners

TERUHIRO (DATES UNKNOWN)

A Large and Impressive Silver Presentation Vase
Meiji era (1868-1912), dated 1908
Of baluster form decorated with a bold design of a reclining lion chiseled and hammered up in high relief, and inlaid in gilt-brass with an inscription Zō Ratto hakushi Meiji yonjūichinen nigatsu kigensetsu kōshaku Itō Hirobumi (Presented to Dr. Ladd, February 1908, from Marquis Itō Hirobumi), signed on the body Teruhiro …. and on the underside Mitsuyuki with a kaō, and stamped Jungin (Pure silver) and [] []
17 1/2in (44.5cm) high, 5630 grams

Footnotes

George Trumbull Ladd (1842-1921), a Yale philosopher and diplomatic advisor to the Meiji government, and Itō Hirobumi (1841-1909), Japan’s first Prime Minister, shared a close, influential relationship spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ladd served as a key Western apologist for Japan’s imperial expansion, famously acting as a propagandist for Itō’s colonial policies in Korea.

Between 1892 and 1899, Ladd visited Japan to lecture and advise the cabinet under Itō on education. This formed the basis of their mutual respect, with Ladd eventually being awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito).

In 1907, Itō (then Resident-General of Korea) invited Ladd to tour Korea to serve as an educational advisor and to provide a sympathetic, Western academic voice in an attempt to legitimize Japan’s controversial protectorate. On his return to the United States, Ladd published his book In Korea with Marquis Ito (February 22, 1908) based on his experiences during this tip. In it, Ladd defended Itō’s administration, arguing that Japan’s presence was a benevolent necessity, and claimed that Koreans were not yet prepared for self-rule. While widely criticized in the West for echoing Japanese imperialist rhetoric, Ladd’s work was highly praised in Japan.

The date inscribed on the vase, February 11, 1908, coincides precisely with the completion and publication of Ladd’s book (February 22, 1908). It seems probable that this vase was presented by Itō either as an expression of gratitude for the Ladd’s dedicated efforts, or as a commemorative token marking the book’s publication.

Quoted from the lot page, © Bonhams. Bonhams, Fine Japanese & Korean Art, 2026-09-16, lot 985 ↗