JAPAN
Stag
c. 1860 - 1865Silver, patinated silver alloy, bone, enamel | 10.8 x 22.0 x 13.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 41631
Early diplomatic contact between Japan and Britain was not without conflict. These gifts were sent to Queen Victoria as a sign of peace after the two nations exchanged fire at Kagoshima in 1863. The elderly couple on the saké cup represent enduring harmony. The deer, considered a divine messenger, has been engraved and burnished to resemble the spotted hide of the sika deer of Japan.