Just an old flower pot...

This heavy solid brass or bronze pot belonged to my great-grandmother, or so I was told. My mother kept it on her hearth full of fat pine kindling, but my wife and I use it as a jardiniere, which I believe was its original purpose. I haven't weighed it, but it's 8 inches tall, and 10 1/4 inches across.
It was getting a bit grungy looking, so I gave it a going over with Brasso the other day. It's the first time in years that I've taken a close look at it, and I was impressed with the detail. I believe it was probably cast and finished by hand. Some of the detail also appears to have been by hand. I thought I really ought to try to learn more about it, and while an internet search gives me similar items, I thought I'd approach the experts here.

I'd like to know roughly how old it might be. If it belonged to my great-grandmother, it's possible that she bought it while my great-grandfather was posted to Angel Island in San Francisco with the Marine Hospital Service around the turn of the last century.

Is it Chinese or Japanese? I can't find any markings on it at all.
Does it appear to be brass, or bronze?

 

No Brasso! No!! No!!! NO!!!! You'll destroy the patina!

It's beautiful, and my guess is Japanese.

 

If I had to guess I'd say Japanese. The dragons and clouds were Chinese first, but turn up in both places. No Brasso on that thing; it would ruin it. Ketchup the green off the inside if it bothers you, but otherwise I'd just hit it with a damp cloth.

 

The images are post-Brasso. I was very sparing in my use of it, but the outside was looking like the inside. A quick application and rub with a cloth, and immediately rinsed off. I wanted to protect the patina on the exterior, but I don't plan to do anything at all to the inside.

 

I was very careful about how I used the Brasso, and these photos are after I finished. No plans to do anything further.

 

@Frank I would've loved to have seen your Granny's house-looks like she was quite a refined belle.

 

I wish I could've seen it, too. She passed away before I was born. I've got photos of her, though, and she was a looker, too!

 

Did she live in a grand old Southern mansion ?

 

another vote for japanese, i'd think meiji period too. Looks like brass by the way the brown has cleaned on the outer sides

 

This was her home in Birmingham. As I mentioned, she died before I was born, and the house was sold. I've seen the outside, but never the interior.

 

That was a NICE house! Probably still is.

 

as they say....... That's Smashing !!!!

 

Yikes-quite a gentile pad Frank.I bet you could write a book about your Grandma.

 

Actually, she was my great-grandmother.
Augusta Sharpe Jordan, March, 1876 - Jan. 1959.



Her wedding photo, approximately 1895.



With a friend in 1900.

She was lovely, wasn't she? I wish I'd known her.

 

She was an exquisite looking lady and from what I can tell from that amazing candid photo graceful and with a good sense of humor ! By the way-that's one of the most spontaneous candid antique photos I think I've ever seen-looks like she's about to jump off the page and enchant somebody.

 

very beautiful, love that wedding day photo, she reminds me slightly of Keira knightly, especially in pride and prejudice

 

Japanese, and as charlie said, Meiji period. A beautiful cachepot/planter.
This is considered bronze, but Asian bronzes are a slightly different alloy from Western bronze.

If you have a plant in it, which it was made for, it is best to have it on a saucer so the inside of the cachepot doesn't get wet.
And no Brasso.

Yes, she was. A beauty and a personality.

 

She looks like she was a trip. Probably would have fit in here!

 

that pot looks too good not to be marked...

 

Please note: how extremely small-waisted she was!
Imagine how much effort (an' perhaps Whale-bone) went into that tiny waist...an' at what cost in comfort an' health (immediate an' future)!